


Lucinda Evans

by GHBookfreak



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Harry Potter Has a Sibling, Harry Potter Has a Twin, Harry Potter has a sister, Harry Potter's sister - Freeform, Hogwarts, Slytherin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-03-03 05:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 31,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13334346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GHBookfreak/pseuds/GHBookfreak
Summary: My name? Easy, that is Lucinda Evans. I turned 14 this summer and this year will be my fourth year at Beauxbatons. My best friend is Merope Black, who is also my adoptive sister.I know this year there will be a Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts. Mr Malfoy made sure that Mer and I would be one of the privileged students to go but we're not allowed to enter the Tournament.He always makes stupid rules for us while Draco is allowed to do whatever he wants. And if something goes wrong, one of us gets the blame. So unfair.But hey, that's life.No, that is about to change, I can feel something big is about to happen---copyright to J.K. Rowling, I wanted to stay as close as possible to the original version, so some conversations are the same but with my personal touch. Enjoy!





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I already published this fanfic on Wattpad but decided to publish an edited version on ao3.  
> It has been corrected (and I think most of the mistakes are gone now but don't be too mad if there still are some) and there were some small changes to the plot to clear some of the most frequently asked questions.

They say he Who-must-not-be-named saved me. That he saved me from my parents. That my parents would suppress my abilities or keep them all for themselfs instead of sharing them with the rest of the Wizard World. 

The people who told me this are the Malfoy's.

I live with them now. And let me tell you, it's a hell. I can't do anything or it is wrong. When I was little I used to play with Draco and Mer, when she came along, or just play with magic. But Lucius always said it's wrong and that I scare his wife. So nowaday I just read. I read all day in the library of Malfoy Manson.

My name? Easy, that is Lucinda Evans. I turned 14 this summer and this year will be my fourth at Beauxbatons.

I know this year there will be a Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts. Mr Malfoy made sure that I would be one of the privileged students to go but he said I'm not allowed to enter the Tournament. It would be too dangerous for me and he said it would be a loss for the entire Wizard World if my abilities got lost. However, Draco can do as he pleases. It's so unfair.

Mr Malfoy always makes stupid rules for me while Draco is allowed to do whatever he wants. And if something goes wrong, I get the blame. So unfair.

But hey, that's life.

I'm not alone in this situation. Merope Callisto Black, better known as my best friend Mer, was also 'saved' from her parents and raised by the Malfoy's. She goes to the same school as I do and is also selected to go to the evenement of the Triwizard Tournament. 

We didn't know it yet but our lives were about to change. I can feel something big is about to happen.

—————

I'm running through the garden. I'm chasing some birds. I almost got the green one when I trip and fall into a puddle of mud. Ew!

I look up and see the super annoying Draco above me with a stupid smirk on his stupid face.

Gosh, he irritates me!

"Lucinda, how many time do I have to tell you a lady does not run. No wonder you tripped and fell. But I have to say it is quite entertaining seeing you in the place where you belong; beneath me on the ground in a puddle of mud. Yes, quite entertaining it is."

I give him a death glare and rise of the ground.

"How sweet. You know my father doesn't like it when you look at me that way. He will hear about this and then you will be punished for it," Draco threatens me.

"Go ahead. I don't care anymore. If you don't tell him, he'll find another reason anyway," I try not to sound scared.

"I know, but it's much more enjoying if I'm the reason you get punished," he says again with one of his stupid smirks on his still vexatious face.

And he is supposed to be my 'new brother'. Cheese, don't make me laugh!

"Draco! Lucinda! Dinner's ready," I hear Mrs Malfoy shout from the manor.

"My, my. She will be angry when she sees you this way," Draco says laughing before he runs to the house.

I sigh because it's true. Mrs Malfoy is the only one who is friendly to me. Well, except Dobby but he's an elf that doesn't count. I sigh again before I run in the direction of the manor.

"Lucinda! What have you done this time?" I hear Mrs Malfoy cry out when she sees me. "Go get changed quickly before Lucius sees you. Merope, go help her!"

Merope and I run upstairs and change as quickly as possible.

"There you are, nuisance. You're late for dinner, again," Lucius grumbles.

We quickly take our seat at the table. I look down and take my place at the table.

"Why are we the one who need to take care of them?" he complains to his wife. "At least tomorrow you will be gone for the rest of the year,"

I almost forgot. Tomorrow it's 1 September. The start of a new year at school. Draco is starting at Hogwarts. Mr Malfoy didn't want us attending the same school as his son, so Mer and I are going to Beauxbatons Academy in France.

We've been practising our French the entire summer so we at least understand something of what they're saying. Mer smiles at from across the table. I bet she's thinking about all the pranks she wants to do when we arrive. I smile back.

Tomorrow can't come fast enough. I can't wait to get out of here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CAST
> 
> Kendall Jenner as Merope Black  
> Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy  
> Karen Gillan as Lucinda Evans  
> Louis Doyle as Ernest Macmillan


	2. Arrival at Hogwarts

I turned 14 this summer and this year will be my fourth at Beauxbatons.

I know this year there will be a Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts. Mr Malfoy made sure that I would be one of the privileged students to go but I'm not allowed to enter the Tournament.

He always makes stupid rules for me while Draco is allowed to do whatever he wants. And if something goes wrong, I get the blame. So unfair.

But hey, that's life.

No, that is about to change. I can feel big is about to happen, something big.

My friends and I are now on our way to Hogwarts in a flying carriage towed by eight pegasuses. My best friend, Mer, is sitting right next to me. Talking to everyone and telling jokes. 

The other school that is attending the Tournament are the boys from the Durmstrang Institute. Because we are invited as guests, we will have to make a special entrance. We've been practising all summer to make ours perfect. I think our entrance is pretty lame with all our dancing in tight skirts. So I'm really looking forward to seeing the entrance of the tough guys of Durmstrang. You see, they have quite a reputation.

I look outside the window and see the Hogwarts students pointing at our carriage as if the never saw something magical before.

I try to find Draco, but can't see him anywhere. I suppose he thinks he's too good to welcome me. Well, it's not like I care. He's just a real pain in the ass if you ask me.

"Not already looking for Draco, are we?" Mer teases me while poking my cheek. I blush and look away.

Just before our carriage lands, the students are sent away. I guess back to their classes.

We get out to meet the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore.

"Madame Maxime, I hope you had a pleasant trip."

"Merci, Dumbly-dort. Oui, le trip went well," our headmistress Madame Maxime answers. We all take our right places, just as we practised and make a courtesy.

"Welcome, to Hogwarts. I hope you like your stay," Dumbledore says when he greets us. When his eyes meet mine I can see confusion cross his face before he is back to his enthusiastic self. "Let us just wait a moment so the boys of Durmstrang can come with us. I'm going to give you a tour before all the formality and the introductions in the Great Hall. Don't worry about your luggage, it will be taken care of."

Only a few minutes later the Durmstrang boys join us.

—————

Time for our little act. During the dress rehearsal, everything went well. But I'm feeling so nervous right now. We need to create butterflies with wandless magic. I don't find it that hard, but what if I trip during the dance? I'm extra clumsy when I'm nervous.

No time to think because the doors open.

—————

Our dance went very well. All the boys were looking at us like they never saw a girl before. I have to hide a little smile of victory.

We take place at the table with the blue uniforms. I know it's the Ravenclaw table because I read 'Hogwarts: A History' by Bathilda Bagshot. What can I say, I'm always prepared.

"Tu peux me passer le bouillabaisse, s'il te plaît?" I ask a boy at my table.

"Pardon?" he looks confused. I find it amazing that he doesn't understand French. It makes me feel smarter than I already am. Don't judge me, I take proud in my brains since it's the only thing I got that's mine.

"Bouillabaisse," I repeat with a sweet smile on my face.

"Bless you," the boy answers. I have to do my very best to not burst out into laughter. But then Draco would definitely hear me and tell me that it's not lady-like.

"It's French," a girl with blond hear and dreamy eyes says. She has to spoil my fun. I don't think I like her very much. She had me the bouillabaisse with a weird dreamy smile.

"Thank you," I say but I narrow my eyes. Strange girl. She gives me the creeps.

"She looks rather strange, don't you think?" Merope whispers in my ear. I nod to agree and open my mouth to tell her my impression of the blond girl but I'm interrupted by Hogwarts Headmaster. 

"Your attention, please." Dumbledore demands, "I'd like to say a few words. Eternal glory. That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks. For this reason, the Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this we have the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation Mr Bartemius Crouch." When Mr Crouch wants to take his place, the bewitched ceiling starts to lighten. A strange man let it stop. Dumbledore shakes his hand and the man takes place at the High Table.

"After due consideration, the Ministry has concluded that, for their own safety, no student under the age of 17 shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament. This decision is final." Mr Crouch says and he gets a lot a response, negative response.

"That's so unfair! I wanted to inscribe," Merope complains pouting.

"Mer, you know Mr Malfoy forbid us from entering the Tournament!" I gasp.

"That doesn't mean I'm just going to sit back and listen to him while he plans -"

"Silence!" Dumbledore yells and everything is quiet again. The golden box has been opened. An old goblet with blue fire is now standing next to Dumbledore, "The Goblet of Fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only to write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not think so lightly. If chosen, ther's is no turning back. As from this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun." Agitated everybody starts chatting about the Tournament.

"I wasn't done yet," Dumbledore announces, everything is again silent. "Some practical information for our guests. There is a list given to your school head. They will tell you were your dorm will be. We placed you all in different houses to promote the international friendships and magical connections between the other schools. Now, enjoy the desserts."

And then the desserts arrive and the real feast begins!


	3. Potions

I'm placed in the Slytherins dorm and I ask myself why it is not a surprise. I'm sure Mr Malfoy pulled some strings to make sure that I was placed close to Draco so this stupid son can keep an eye on me. It's always the same. What does surprise me is that Merope is not placed in the same dorm. She was placed in the Hufflepuff dorm. Maybe Mr Malfoy wanted to separate us from each other so we wouldn't get into trouble for pulling pranks on others.

"Hey, Lucinda. Come here," I hear Draco call me from behind me. What does he want now, I was planning to get my stuff unpacked. I sigh and turn around to face him, I know he'll get mad if I don't and things will get ugly then. "I got potions homework that needs to be finished by tomorrow. I expect it to be done by tonight. You got that?"

He is truly unbelievable! It's my first night in the castle and I'm his slave already. But you won't see a crack in my mask. Ow no, I don't grant him that pleasure. "Of course, Draco. It will be done in an hour. What is the subject?"

\-----

That was one of the worst nights of my entire life! I'm roomed with Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass. They were arguing all night, how come they even sleep together if they don't mix well? The only thing they have in common is their house and their undying love for Mr Draco Malfoy. So the only time they got along was when they were telling me how Draco would never want to have a girl like me. Ha! As if I would ever agree to that! Draco would have to beg on his bare knees if he ever got that idea. Not that he ever would since his father would not let him. So these girls are jealous of nothing. 

"You know, I don't even see what the boys like about your uniform. It's such an ugly shade of blue. And the design of that hat! Don't get me even started," And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the lovely sound of Miss Greengrass in the morning.

"I didn't design it, I just wear it. And I think it's a really flattering shape for my figure. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to get breakfast," I say and walk out of the room. Leaving an astonished Greengrass and Parkinson behind.

On my way to the Great Hall, I bump into someone. I look up and see the famous Harry Potter on the ground and two friends behind him.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," he apologizes and helps me up.

"Neither was I, so I'm equally to blame," I give him a little smile while I dust myself off a little. If Draco sees me and I got some wrinkles in my uniform he will scold me again for how unladylike that is. I look at his two friends and notice they are the one Draco told me about, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. "You're Harry Potter? It's nice to meet you in per-," 

"Lucinda! There you are. You are late!" I hear Draco say and turn around to face him. "You know how unladylike that is. And you know how much I despise that. It's a disgrace that the Malfoy family had to take you in. Now come with me to the Great Hall before breakfast is over!" I turn back to the three friends to give them an exculpatory smile and follow Draco. 

I take place at the table of Slytherin, next to Draco. Merope was already seated before I arrived and just smiles at me when I take my place.

"Here, I took the opportunity to get you your timetable. Do not lose it and be on time. You've got the same classes as Merope, so please behave and don't bring shame to my family's name," Draco hands me over a scroll with my timetable on it without looking at me. Sometimes Draco can be nice and this is one of these moments. It's these rare moments that prevent me from hating him. I smile to myself and thank him in silence.

Somebody kicked me under the table. I look up and see, of course, who else than, Merope intensely looking at me. I give her a questioning look but she just shakes her head. Strange, she is never this quiet.

\-----

My first class of the day is potions. I know what to expect from the lessons since Draco talks about his favourite professor a lot and since I did his homework yesterday I've got a pretty good idea of what we're going to brew today. 

"Today we will be brewing the Herbicide Potion," a bat-like person enters the classroom. It's one of the professors I recognize from yesterday evening at the feast. I have the impression he stared at me, then at Mer who is seated next to me, before he continued, but that could just be me. "This potion is used to kill or damages plants. It's a potion of the Advanced level and so it is often asked at the O.W.L.s. Since next year you will take the O.W.L.s it is important you learn it right. You will work in groups of three for this potion. At the end of class, I want one flask of each group on my desk. So get your ingredients and start brewing."

"Merope, Lucinda, you'll be my partners so you better do this right. I have good grades for Potions and I don't want one of you to ruin them." Draco says and comes sitting next to me.

I don't need to open my book to look up the ingredients since I still remember from last night. I go to the storage closet and take some Flobberworm mucus, Horklump juice and Lionfish spines while Merope starts to prepare the Standard Ingredients. But I do look up the instruction, just to be sure I don't screw anything up.

**_Brewing instructions:_  **

_ Part 1 _

_Add 4 Lionfish spines to the mortar_

_Crush into a rough powder using the pestle_

_Add 2 measurements of Standard Ingredient to the mortar_

_Crush into a rough powder_

_Add 3 measures of the crushed mixture to your cauldron_

_Wave your wand_

_Leave to brew and return in 45/51/60 minutes (depending on your cauldron)_

_ Part 2 _

_Add 2 measures of Horklump juice to your cauldron_

_Heat to a medium temperature for 10 seconds_

_Add 2 blobs of Flobberworm mucus to your cauldron while it's still on the heat_

_Stir 4 times, clockwise_

_Wave your wand to complete the potion_

I was just about to add my two blobs of Flobberworm mucus when I hear Snape getting irritated.

"Mr Potter, have we become too famous to even read correctly?" he snarls. 

"No," Harry mumbles. 

"I really don't envy Mr famous right now," Mer whispers in my ear.

"Then read the part two instructions out loud."

"Add two measures of Horklump juice to your cauldron. Heat to medium temperature for Ten seconds." Harry reads grudgingly, probably realizing what he did wrong. 

"Yes, indeed. Ten seconds at a medium temperature. And what did you do, Mr Potter?" 

"Don't envy him at all. I think it is even a little funny," I give her a wringing glance and she quickly adds, "Just a little bit."

"We shouldn't laugh at people because they make a mistake during class," I say in a stern whispering voice before giving her a playful grin and adding, "Though it is kind of funny, he should just follow the instructions."

"I used a high temperature," Harry mumbles with his head down and his ear red.

"Indeed and now the potion is worthless," Snape waves his wand and the content of Harry's cauldron is gone. "You can leave the room now."

Harry walks angrily out of the room.

"Serves him right, that Potter. Always thinking he is so good. Well, he sucks at potions," Draco chuckles. Ow, how much he loves other peoples misery. "Are you almost done? I'm bored and want to get out of here."

"We just finished. We just need to hand in a sample so Professor Snape can evaluate it."

"Good. Hand it in, I'm going already."

"He does think he's so good. I really don't know what you see in him," Mer mumbles annoyed.

"I don't like him and let him be before he writes to Mr Malfoy that we do not obey him and get punished for it."

I sigh and just do as Draco told me. We don't want to make a scene here. Plus, there is not much else we can do anyway. 

"A perfectly brewed Herbicide Potion. You have talent Miss Evens," Professor Snape compliments me. That's kind of creepy. Draco said he never does that. If he says nothing it's good.

"Thank you, Professor," I answer while looking down since I'm a bit embarrassed by the sudden compliment. Though I don't understand why. It was a group assignment, so the whole group should get credit for the potion.

"Clean your equipment before you leave."

"Of course."


	4. The Goblet of Fire

Many people have put their name in the Goblet already, like Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, Angelina Johnson, Fleur Delacour and many others. Also students who are not old enough tried to put their name in it, like the Weasley twins did. I must say of all the people who tried to mislead the Goblet, they had the funniest punishment. Those beards! That was really funny to see. 

Tonight the names of the Champions will be chosen. Only a few students of our Academy have given up their name, so Mer and I agreed that the Champion of Beauxbatons will most likely be Fleur since she got the best qualifications for it.

All of us gather around in the Great Hall. It is Professor Dumbledore who walks to the Goblet. He waits until the Goblet spits out a little piece a parchment. "The Durmstrang Champion is Viktor Krum." There is a lot of cheering at the tribune of Durmstrang. Krum stands up and walks to the where they guide him, the Champion room. The choosing ceremony continues. "The Champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour." Ha, what did I tell you. I knew it! She was the only one suitable. "The Hogwarts Champion is, Cedric Diggory!" 

While Cedric goes to the Champion room all the Hogwarts students start cheering. I knew he was really loved because of his Quidditch skills, his good grades, his charm and of course his good looks. They're all delighted that he got chosen. 

"Luce," Mer suddenly gasps and grabs my hand. 

"What is it?" I look at her and see her eyes are blurry look in her eyes. She's having a vision. I look up to check if nobody is looking at us, because she keeps those a secret, and see the Goblet starting to prepare to spit out a new piece of parchment. 

"Harry Potter!" Professor Dumbledore yells and everything goes quiet. I look shocked at Merope she now had a dull look in her eyes before I look back up at the famous boy named Harry Potter walks up to the professor, his face clearly full of confusion and shock. Potter stumbles to the Champion room, followed by Professor McGonagall.

"C'est inacceptable!" I hear madame Maxime yell as she gets up and starts to follow them. Not a second later she is followed by Igor Karkaroff, Professor Snape, Professor Moody and Professor Dumbledore.

All of us are left in confusion and shock. How did he do it? He's fourteen, how did he get past the barrier? The silence is very heavy in the Great Hall until the gossip began. But the question that bugs me the most is; why did Mer see it?

"All of you, go back to your common rooms!"

\-----

"That Potter! Always needing all this attention. Always needing the spotlight. Can't he function without it? Does he need it in his life that much because of his stupid parents?" Draco goes on and on about how Harry Potter got chosen as a Champion.

I sigh and shut him out. I know ones Draco starts complaining, he keeps going for hours and hours. But he does have a point this time; how did that Potter kid do it? He's only fourteen, so there is no way he could have crossed the age line in any way. Did he ask someone else to put his name in the Goblet? Or did he use some kind of spell to get it in while he was still standing outside of the age line? None of the ideas I came up with sounded realistic so I gave up. I need to talk to Mer, I want to know what she saw. After dinner, she went straight to her dorm again and I didn't have the chance to ask her about it.

"And that hair of his! Does he really think that he can get away with such sloppy hair? If I would walk around with such hair my father would have me disowned! But of course that's all you can expect from a parentless brat like Potter," and Draco was still going.

"I think I'm going to bed. I've had enough excitement for today," I say and try to get away from the common room.

"Where do you think you're going? Have I given you my permission to leave this room? You still have to do my transfiguration homework," Draco disciplines me.

"Of course. How stupid of me, how could I forget," I put on my emotionless face and kill all the feeling in my voice. How foolish and naive of me to forget I still needed to make a koppie of my homework and change it a little bit so Draco could use it too.

"I don't know how you do it, Lucinda. You're so smart all the time but still, you forget so many things. Sometimes I just cannot believe that you are considered intelligent enough to be taken care of by the Malfoy family," Daphne Greengrass, one of my roommates here at Hogwarts, mocks. 

"Yes, she is quite a pest to the family but my parents see it as their duty to take care of her. She should be grateful that my father is willing to pay for her education. If it was my decision she wouldn't set a foot in our mansion," Draco brags about how good his parents are for taking me in while pretending I'm not in the _same_ room making _his_ homework. My life is such a drag.

\-----

I'm so happy that I have some classes that Draco hasn't. Like right now, I'm having a double class of Divination this afternoon. I'm looking around the room as I walk through the entrance to spot where Merope is seated but instead, I see two other familiar faces. Harry Potter, who is sitting next to his friend Ronald Weasley, who has a rather irritated expression on his face. I was quite surprised when I didn't see the third part of the Golden Trio. Draco told me they're are always together, but guess they're not inseparable. I just take a place in the back of the class and wait for Mer to show up, but she never did.

"Good day," a misty voice says. A very thin woman with enormous glasses that made her eyes appear far too large for her face, Professor Trelawney is peering down at Harry Potter with a tragic expression.

Ugh, I don't really like this class. It's boring because Professor Trelawney keeps going on and on about doom of a certain person that is present in this classroom right now. But who could that be? Harry Potter of course, who else. 

"You are preoccupied, my dear," Professor Trelawney says mournfully to Harry. "My inner eye sees past your brave face to the troubled soul within. And I regret to say that your worries are not baseless. I see difficult times ahead for you, alas . . . most difficult . . . I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass . . . and perhaps sooner than you think. . . ." Her voice drops almost to a whisper. 

She then turns to the rest of us and continues. "My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars," she says. "The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle . . ." 

And she lost me. This will really be a waste of time, but at least it is time I do not have to spent with Draco and his conceited friends. Although this is not an improvement. I could be doing my Herbology homework right now. Or Draco's DADA homework.

"What?" 

My thoughts get intermittent by a confused looking Harry Potter. He's looking around while the whole class is staring at him. He sits up straight; I would bet that he was dozing off.

"I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn," Professor Trelawney repeats, a faint note of resentment in her voice at the fact that he had obviously not been hanging on her words.

"Born under — what, sorry?" Harry asks confused. It's so obvious he isn't interested. I mean, you can at least pretend. Those two girls in the front are quite good at that, he should learn from them.

"Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!" Professor Trelawney says, sounding definitely irritated that he wasn't riveted by this news. "I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the heavens at the moment of your birth. . . . Your dark hair . . . your mean stature . . . tragic losses so young in life . . . I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in midwinter?"

"No," said Harry, "I was born in July." His friend Ron hastily turns his laugh into a hacking cough. I do too, she tries so hard to predict stuff but fails so hard at it. She just continues like he didn't tell her she was wrong. 

Each of us gets a complicated circular chart. Now everyone is attempting to fill in the position of the planets at their moment of birth. It is really dull work, requiring much consultation of timetables and calculation of angles.

Suddenly a high squeal resounds through the room. It's is one of the girls who is seated in the front row. "Oh Professor, look! I think I've got an unaspected planet! Oooh, which one's that, Professor?"

"It is Uranus, my dear," Professor Trelawney answers, peering down at the chart.

"Can I have a look at Uranus too, Lavender?" I hear Ron say from across the room.

Most unfortunately, Professor Trelawney heard him too, and it was this, perhaps, that made her give them so much homework at the end of the class. "A detailed analysis of the way the planetary movements in the coming month will affect you, with reference to your personal chart," she snaps. "I want it ready to hand in next Monday, and no excuses!" 

Great. More homework!


	5. Draco the ferret

At dinner, I'm sitting next to Draco, as he ordered me to. He's is reading the Daily Prophet when he suddenly starts laughing. "Look, Lucinda. Read this," he hands me over the newspaper.

_FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_

_It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene._

"What about it?" I ask. Of course, I know what he means by handing me this. I know how he thinks it's funny that pureblood wizards can sink so low as the Weasley family. 

"Don't play dumb with me, Lucinda. I know you find this just as funny as I do."

Of course, I do, that is why I'm laughing so hard. Can't you tell?

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Draco snatches the newspaper and runs away. I look up to see where he is heading and see the Golden Trio walk into the Great Hall.

"What?" Ron asks shortly.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Draco jeers loudly, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall can hear him loud and clearly. "Listen to this! 'It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office'."

Draco looks up from the newspaper. "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crows. Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Draco straightens the paper arrogantly before reading on. "Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene'."

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" Malfoy says in mocked excitement, flipping the paper over and holding it up. "A picture of your parents outside their house — if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

Ronald Weasley is clearly shaking with fury. Everyone in the Hall is staring at him.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry. "C'mon, Ron. . . ."

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" Draco now sneers to Harry Potter. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

"You know your mother, Malfoy? That expression she's got like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?" Harry answers while both he and Hermione are holding the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Draco.

Draco's pale face goes slightly pink. Ow no, he' shouldn't have. Whatever you do, never mention Draco's mother. I get up as fast as I can and make my way to the place of commotion.

"Draco let's get out of here," I try to get him with me while pulling his arm but he shakes me off.

"Stay out of it, Luce. And Potter, don't you dare insult my mother."

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," Harry answers while turning away. I see Draco grab his wand and point it to Harry. I push his arm as fast as I can. BANG! The flash of the spell nearly missing Harry Potters head. Several people start screaming.

"Why did you do that?!" Draco yells at me.

"It's cowardly to attack from behind," I say in a calm voice, looking at him straight in the eye. His eyes are a burning sea of grey frames.

Suddenly a second BANG sounds through the hall and I see Draco turn into a pure white ferret.

Professor Moody came through a sea of bystanders to where we were standing.

There is a terrified silence in the entrance hall. Nobody but Moody was moving a muscle. Moody turns to look at Harry.

But I do not focus on their conversation. I try to pick up the white ferret but freeze at the loud order.

"LEAVE IT!" Moody orders.

"Leave — what?" I hear Harry ask.

"Not you — her!" Moody growls, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at me.

Moody starts limp towards me, Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, which gives a terrified squeak and tries to take off, streaking toward the dungeons.

"I don't think so!" Moody grumbles, pointing his wand at the ferret again — it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounces upward once more.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned. Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..."

Draco flies through the air as a ferret, its legs and tail flailing helplessly.

"Never. Do. That. Again." Moody speaks each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.

"Professor Moody!" a shocked voice resounds through the hall. Professor McGonagall is coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Moody answers calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.

"What — what are you doing?" Professor McGonagall asks affected, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.

"Teaching."

"Teach — Moody, is that a student?" Professor McGonagall shrieks, the books spilling out of her arms.

"Yep."

"No!" Professor McGonagall is running down the stairs and pulling out her wand. Just a moment later Draco reappears, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He gets to his feet, wincing.

"Gosh, Draco. Are you ok?" I ask really concerned. 

"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment! We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House! Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that? "

"I'll do that, then," Moody answers, staring at Draco with great dislike. I go stand between him and Professor Moody, giving the last one a deadly glare before turning back to Draco. I take his face into my hands and inspect him, looking for injuries. Draco's pale eyes are watering with pain and humiliation and he's trying to avoid looking me into the eye.

"Wait till my father hears about this," he says while looking malevolently up over my shoulder, probably at Professor Moody.

"Oh yeah?" I hear Professor Moody say from behind me. I hear him limping closer, the dull clunk of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. "Well, I know your father of old, boy. . . . You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son . . . you tell him that from me. . . . Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," Malfoy answers resentfully.

"Another old friend," Moody growls. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape... Come on, you..."

The professor seizes Draco's arm and leads him off toward the dungeons. I follow behind, but Professor Moody turns around, "Have I asked you to escort him? No. Now go back to you Hall and leave him to me." I freeze for the second time by one of his commands. I slowly turn around and see everybody staring at the place where Professor Moody and Draco turned around the corner. 

Professor McGonagall is the first one to move. She waves her wand at her fallen books, causing them to soar up into the air and back into her arms and leaves. 

Everybody goes back to eating but I go back to my room since I'm way too worried to eat anything anymore.


	6. My first DADA class

That morning at breakfast I sat next to Merope and I told her about all the fun stuff she missed the day before. 

"He turned him into a ferret?" she asks in disbelieve with clear amusement in her eyes. 

"Shh!" I look over at where Draco is seated to make sure he didn't hear us. He's talking to that Pansy girl so I turn back to Mer with a smile on my face. "Not so loud. He could hear us. But yes, he really did. It's was really funny."

"I wish I could have seen it," she mocks pouting. Then her eyes light up and she smirks, "Was he cute?"

My face starts turning red. I hate it how red I turn when I blush. "Mer! Don't ask stupid questions," I hit her arm and pretend to focus on the food in front of me while trying to calm down so the blush goes away.

Merope starts laughing really loudly. I glance quickly to Draco and see him looking with squinted eyes with suspicion. I give Mer another hit on her arm but she only starts laughing louder and I start blushing redder. 

—————

My first class today was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Merope and I enter the classroom and see it's still empty so we can freely choose where we want to be seated. Mer takes a place in the back corner of the class. In the front of the class, on the teacher's desk is a pile of copies of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection. I walk over and take two when I hear footsteps coming closer I go back to the last row of the classroom and take a seat next to Merope. 

Groups of students slowly entered the room. They're clearly excited about this class. I've also already heard a lot of rumours about this class, mostly of Draco who isn't very fond of Professor Moody. When everybody was inside it was unusually quiet, waiting in anticipation. Soon we hear Moody's distinctive clunking footsteps coming down the corridor, and he enters the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever. We could just see his clawed, wooden foot protruding from underneath his robes.

"You can put those away," he grows, stomping over to his desk and sitting down, "those books. You won't need them." Mer and I look surprised at each other and back to the rest of the class to see what they are doing. The students in front of us put their book on the ground. Confused I put my book inside my backpack. How does he plan to teach if we're not using our books?

Professor Moody takes out a register and begins to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swivels around, fixing upon each student as he or she answers. When the last person had declared themselves present he pauses for a long time before speaking up again.

"Right then, I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures — you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?" There follows a general murmur of assent. "But you're behind — very behind — on dealing with curses," said Moody. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark —"

"What, aren't you staying?" Ronald Weasley blurts out.

"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Professor Moody asks. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago... Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favour to Dumbledore... One year, and then back to my quiet retirement."

Professor Moody starts laughing and claps in his hands before continuing. This man is giving me the creeps.

"So — straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."

A girl in the front jumps, squirrels and blushes. She had been showing something to the girl next to her. I recognize them both from my classes Divination. Apparently, Moody's magical eye can see through solid wood, as well as out of the back of his head. This man is so creepy.

"So... do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including my own. Moody points at Ron, though his magical eye is still fixed on the girl in the front.

"Er, my dad told me about one... Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"

"Ah, yes. Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse."

Professor Moody stands up, opened his desk drawer, and takes out a glass jar. Three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it. Why does he need spiders when he is talking about the unforgivable curses without using our book?

Professor Moody reaches into the jar, takes one of out of it and places it carefully in his hand for everyone to see. He then points his wand at it and muttered, "Imperio!"

The spider leaps from Moody's hand on the desk of the girls in the front. They start screaming while some of the people around them start chucking. Then it goes off to the arm of the boy who is seated behind her before it is on the head of Ronald Weasley and back to the hand of Professor Moody.

Almost everyone in the classroom is laughing by now, even Merope next to me. The exceptions are me and Professor Moody himself.

"Think it's funny, do you?" he growls. "At least one of you is smart enough not to laugh. Please tell us why, Miss Evans."

The laughter died away almost instantly.

"Total control," I tell him. "the caster of the curse could make you do anything. Jump out of the window, drown yourself, force you to kill your best friend,..."

"Exactly. Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse. Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will. The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barks loudly, and everyone jumps back from the sudden outburst. The professor puts the spider back into the jar before continuing.

"Anyone else knows one? Another illegal curse? You, Longbottom."

"There's one — the Cruciatus Curse," the boy named Longbottom answers in a small but distinct voice.

"The Cruciatus Curse. Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," Professor Moody mumbles while taking a news spider out of the jar while pointing his wand at the spider. "Engorgio!" The spider swells. It is now larger than a tarantula. 

Moody raises his wand again, pointed it at the spider, "Crucio!"

At once, the spider's legs are bent in upon its body; it rolls over and begins to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. Moody does not remove his wand, and the spider starts to shudder and jerk more violently —

"Stop it!"

I look at the person who commands the Professor to stop. It's the other friend of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger. Draco told me she is a Mudblood and a wiseacre. I think it's pretty brave what she did considering she isn't looking at the spider but at the Longbottom boy. His hands are clenched upon the desk in front of him, his knuckles white, his eyes wide and horrified.

Professor Moody raises his wand and the spider's legs relax immediately, but it continues to twitch.

"Reducio," Professor Moody mutters, and the spider shrinks back to its proper size. He puts it back into the jar.

"Pain," Professor Moody starts softly. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse... That one was very popular once too. Right... anyone knows any others?"

I put my hand into the air since nobody else seems in the mood to answer.

"Yes?" Professor Moody asks me.

"The Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra," I say clearly while looking him into the eye.

Several people in the classroom look uneasily. Some give awkward side looks at Harry Potter.

"Ah," the Professor says with another slight smile twisting his mouth. "Yes, the last and worst. Avada Kedavra... the Killing Curse." Ok, he really creeps me out. It's official.

Professor Moody puts his hand into the glass jar and takes the last spider out of it. He raises his wand and roars, "Avada Kedavra!" There is a flash of blinding green light and instantaneously the spider rolls over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead. Several of the students stifle cries. "Not nice," he says calmly. "Not pleasant. And there's no countercurse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me." 

Everybody in the room, including me, is now looking at the Boy Who Lived, the one and only Harry Potter.

"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it — you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it. Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he roars, and the whole class jumps again.

"Now, those three curses — Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus — are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance. Get out your quills... copy this down..."

The rest of the lesson we were just taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. No one dared to speak until the bell rang. From the moment Professor Moody dismissed the class and people left the classroom, a torrent of talk burst forth.


	7. Potions

Draco was sitting next to me during Transfiguration. And as usual, he was complaining about stuff. This time stuff happened to be Harry Potter. This morning there was an article about him in the Daily Prophet, it considered all kinds of possibilities of how he persuaded the Goblet of Fire.

"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," he suddenly speaks up to Crabbe and Goyle who are seated behind us. I look up and see that Harry just walked into the classroom. "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer. Half the Triwizard champions have died. How long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet." Crabbe and Goyle guffaw sycophantically, but Malfoy has to stop there because Professor McGonagall walks in. 

"Class, sit down. Today we will be starting with a very complex and difficult form of magic. Namely; Cross-Species Switches,"

At the end of class, she gave us homework to describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches.

"Lucinda, I expect this piece of homework to be done by tonight. Otherwise, I need to worry about it to much," and here is the lovely Draco again, walking away with his two minions and Pancy persecuting them like a homeless dog.

—————

"Here, Luce, I got you something nice. Ow, and have one for Merope too. I'm sure she'll find it genius," Draco says and hands me something that looks a lot like a badge. In luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage: ' _Support Cedric_ — _The REAL Hogwarts Champion_ ' was written on it.

"Wait. You need to wait for it. The best is yet to come," Draco says excitedly. I look back at the badge and the message upon it vanishes, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green: ' _Potter Stinks_ '. Really mature, Draco. "So, what do you think?" he asks me with a really wide grin on his face and I know I can only agree in this situation.

"Really creative, Draco. I can see you put a lot of work in it," Though it would be better if you put this time and effort in something productive. Like maybe doing your own homework.

"I know right. I'm the best!" He then turns away and sees Harry Potter enter the dungeon. "Like them, Potter?" Draco aks loudly as Harry approaches and looks at the message in red letters. "And this isn't all they do — look!" The red message changes into green one. The Slytherins howl with laughter. There is no change in emotion on Harry's face, but the blush on his face and neck give away the anger he must feel. 

"Oh very funny," Hermione says sarcastically to Pansy and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty." As she says the last part facing Draco. 

"Want one, Granger?" Draco asks, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up." 

Before anyone could react Harry reaches for his wand. People all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.

"Harry!" Hermione demands warningly.

"Go on, then, Potter," Draco provokes quietly, drawing out his own wand. 

"Draco, no," I say but he isn't listening to me. He pushes me behind him and gets ready to cast a spell.

"Moody's not here to look after you now — do it, if you've got the guts —"

For a split second, they look into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.

" _Furnunculus_!" Harry yells at the same time as Draco screams, " _Densaugeo_!"

Jets of light shoot from both wands hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles — Harry's hits Goyle in the face, and Draco's hits Hermione. Goyle bellows and puts his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils are springing up — Hermione, whimpering in panic, is clutching her mouth.

"Hermione!" Ronald calls out while running to her. Wow, didn't even know he was here.

"And what is all this noise about?" a soft, deadly voice remarks. Professor Snape has arrived. The Slytherins clamour to give their explanations; the Professor points a finger at Draco, "Explain."

"Potter attacked me, sir —"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouts.

"— and he hit Goyle. Look!"

"Sir, that is not really what happened," I begin but Draco brutally pulls my arm and puts his hand over my mouth.

"Shut your mouth, Lucinda. Nobody asked for your opinion," Draco hisses while Professor Snape examines Goyle, not paying attention to us at all. 

"Hospital wing, Goyle," Professor Snape says calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ronald exclaims. "Look!" While he forces Hermione to show her teeth. Pansy and some other Slytherin girls are doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Professor Snape's back.

"I see no difference." is Professor Snape's cold reply. That's an extremely mean thing to say, expressly to a girl!

Hermione whimpers; I see her eyes fill with tears, she turns on her heel and runs out of sight. A girl from Gryffindor, whose name I do not know, runs after her. Poor girl. 

The two boys both start shouting at Professor Snape at the same time.

"Let's see," Professor Snape states, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions." 

I only now see Merope walk into the classroom. 

"Wow, what happened? What's with the mood?" she asks me. I never got to answer though because Professor Snape started his lesson.

"Antidotes!" Professor Snape says, looking around at them all, his cold black eyes glittering unpleasantly. "You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one..." And just like that, he starts the class.

I start brewing mine and, together with Mer, Draco's antidote when suddenly there is a knock on the dungeon door. It's a little boy in a Gryffindor uniform; he edges into the room, walking up to the Professor's desk at the front of the room.

"Yes?" Professor Snape sneers curtly.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter upstairs."

"Potter has another hour of Potions to complete," Professor Snape replies coldly. "He will come upstairs when this class is finished."

The little boy starts to become pink. "S-sir, Mr Bagman wants him," he says nervously. "All the champions have got to go, I think they want to take photographs. . . ."

"Very well, very well," Professor Snape snaps. "Potter, leave your things here, I want you back down here later to test your antidote."

"Please, sir. He's got to take his things with him. All the champions —"

"Very well! Potter — take your bag and get out of my sight!"

Harry swings his bag over his shoulder, gets up, and heads for the door. 

"Bloody, Potter," I hear someone whisper. I look around to see who it was, but everybody seems to be working on their antidote. 


	8. The first task

The everyday life at Hogwarts returned pretty much. 

Well, at least what I see as everyday life. In the morning in a very loud Great Hall, classes, lunch, again classes and dinner at an even louder Great Hall.

"Come here, Lucinda," Draco calls me, which I also like to call everyday life. "Have you read this article?"

Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, was chosen as one of the Champions by the Goblet of Fire in the Triwizard Tournament. We asked him where he got the courage to inscribe for such a dangerous competition. 'I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now'. Though tough he may be he still thinks a lot about the loss of his parents. 'Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it'. Harry Potter, a boy of twelve is not scared of the dangers he is going to face during this tournament. 'I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament because they're watching over me'.

"Little Potter boy still cries himself asleep, thinking about his dead parents. Don't you think that is funny, Lucinda?" Draco asks with a grin.

"They say he's a boy of twelve, how real can this story be?"

"Don't spoil all the fun for me, Luce. It's funny," Draco whines while pouting. Ok, that's kind of cute.

"Do you still think this is funny?" I ask him while pointing at a part further in the article.

_Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school._

"They call him one of the top students? How is that even possible?!!" Draco yells out. "They must have really bad sources." He mumbles to himself while frowning. So much for his happy mood. Well done, Lucinda.

I walk away and see Pansy Parkinson take my place next to Draco.

"Stunningly pretty? Her?" Pansy shrieks when she reads it too. "What was she judging against — a chipmunk?" 

—————

"Bon, we kn'ow what thee first défi will be," Madame Maxime started. We're having a meeting for the Tournament. We all need to do our part to make it easier for our school to win by supporting and helping Fleur Delacour. "Des dragons."

A few girls gasp and look shocked at one another. Some look relieved, I suspect that they weren't chosen. Mer and I look at each other and roll our eyes and our mouths still have some traces of the laugh we are trying to fight back.

"You should blind it, so it cannot see you," one girl, Mathilde, suggests. 

"No, you should put it asleep,"

"That's not possible. How are you going to make the dragon drink the potion?"

Everybody in the room starts talking and it is one big chaos of sounds.

"Mes filles, only one at the time please," Madame Maxime interferes.

"Aren't your partly Veela?" I ask Fleur. I see her face become pale. Some girls start whispering in a rather shocked tone. I guess they didn't notice it yet. 

"Oui, that's true. My grandmother was one," she answers with a new-found confidence.

" Why don't you use those powers to hypnotize it?" Mer asks.

"Ah mais oui, that's it!" Madama Maxime jumps up and claps her hands. "Personne will see it coming. Sacre bleu, c'est génial!"

Glad I could at least be of some help. I sigh, this was such a waste of time.

—————

It was Tuesday today, the day of the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Merope is so excited to go and see the first task that she cannot stop talking about it.

"I'm so curious. What could be so dangerous that you have to be 17 to enter this Tournament? Aren't you excited, Luce?" but she doesn't leave me anytime to answer, "I bet you are. I certainly am for sure. I hope I can buy some snacks there. You know how much I like to eat when I'm excited. Or should I have taken some for breakfast to take with me? I should have, shouldn't I? Those sausages were really good. And don't get me started about the chicken -"

"Mer, maybe we should go to the stands already so we are sure to get good places," I propose and she agrees immediately.

When we arrive we see that there are places reserved for our school. So we head over there and get pompons, light blue with silver, shoved in our hands by Mathilde, a last-year student at our school, before she goes back to the others to rehearsal their encouragement cheering dance.

Mer and I look at each other. We're so not gonna use those pompons or join them. 

"Place your bet! Place your bet here!" I hear someone shout. I turn around and see two tall almost identical boys with red hear walking on the stands with a box in their hands with flags on of the four Champions. "Who will the winner be? Will it be one of our Cedric of Harry."- "Or maybe one of our guests, the lovely Fleur or the famous Victor."- "Take a chance and place your bet," They spoke in turns while walking around and selling tickets. 

Normally Mar would have made a comment about something like this or she would have least laugh at the idea. Because she didn't say anything, I turn to look at her and see she is quietly admiring the twins with clear appreciation in her eyes. I smile at her, she likes them - or at least one of them. 

She notices me smiling at her. "What?" I just keep smiling at her and throw her a knowing look. "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Don't look at me like that?" She starts tickling me. Damn, she knows I'm really ticklish. Don't do this to me, Mer. And certainly not in public! If Draco could see me laughing like this he would say it's really unladylike.

She suddenly gasps and stops tickling me. I recover and look up to see the boys walking over to us.

"Well, hello ladies," the one with the box starts. Merope next to me is dead quiet and is starting to blush. Oh, Merlins Beard! She must really like him.

"Hello," I greet them back.

"Would you like to place a bet. Maybe you can support your Champion and place a bet on Fleur," the other proposes. 

"Sure my friend here will place a bet in exchange for a name, maybe," I suggest while looking at Mer and then back at the boys. 

"Ah, you know your business. Well, that seems like a fair trade," the second one agrees, "My name is George and this is my twin brother Fred."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Lucinda and this here is my friend Merope. She would like to make a bet on.." I turn to Mer to ask her who she would want to bet on but she is just staring at the boy who just introduced himself as Fred, so I chose in her place, "Well, I feel for that poor Potter guy so I'll guess we'll go for him."

"Good choice. He's smart and has lots of experience with dangerous situations, but I can guaranty you he is anything but poor," George winks and gives me the ticket. 

Trumpets start to play and we turn around to the arena again. 

"Looks like it's about to start. We should go back to our places. Enjoy the show, ladies," Fred says and they climb the stairs. 

"Merlin, he was hot," is the only thing Mer can say when we sit down. I giggle quietly.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome by the Department of International Magical Cooperation, the Department of Magical Games and Sports and the Foreign Affairs and Sports Department. We welcome you to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament of 1994-1995 held here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In this first task, the Champions will have to show courage and astuteness. They have to face a mother dragon to collect the golden egg that is placed in its nest. By obtaining this golden egg, they will receive the possibility of a hint if they can solve the mystery and the riddle of the egg. This clue will be important for the Champions changes in the next task." 

Cedric Diggory is the first one to start. He has to fight against a Swedish Short-Snout. He uses a Transfiguration spell to change a rock into a dog to distract the dragon. Very smart. Cedric goes for the Golden egg but gets a bait from the dragon, but it changed its mind halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador; he only just got away. His face is burned but he catches the egg.

Fleur Delacour is the next against a Common Welsh Green. She enchants the dragon to sleeplike trance, but each time when she stops the dragon wakes up again and starts spitting fire at her. So she just keeps charming the dragon while retrieving the golden egg. While retrieving it snores and lets out a jet of flame that sets her skirt alight. Really funny to see. She rapidly puts it out with a bit of water out of her wand.

Viktor Krum is third, facing a Chinese Fireball. He uses the Conjunctivitis Curse to blind the dragon by hitting it with some sort of spell right in the eye before retrieving his egg. However, the dragon stumbles around and smashes the half of the real eggs, what will dock him points.

The famous Harry Potter is last against a Hungarian Horntail. He uses Summoning Charm to bring his Firebolt broomstick to him and manoeuvres past the dragon to retrieve his egg. When the dragon bites at Harry, I take Mers hand tight. He could dodge its mouth but got slashed on the shoulder by its tail. This costs him points. But he is the Champion who retrieves his egg the quickest.

Harry and Viktor are tied for first place, Cedric in second, and Fleur in third. Only now the champions are told that the Golden egg they retrieved contains a clue on how to pass the Second Task.


	9. Dance Partners

It's the usual Thursday afternoon during our Transfiguration class. People do not pay much attention. They want it to be Friday evening so the weekend could start.

"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?" Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracks like a whip through the class. Her voice interrupts my daydreaming. Next to me, I see Merope jump up. She has ink on her face since she was sleeping with her head on her desk. I laugh at her when she looks around confused and clearly still with a sleepy glance in her eyes. 

"Now that I have everyone's attention back. Please copy your homework of the blackboard," Professor McGonagall signs, clearly irritated.

I copy the blackboard, _Describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches_ ,  and look next to me to check if Mer is doing the same but she has her head back on her desk and is drifting away again. What did she do last night that she is so tired?

When I'm done copying I look around the classroom to see if the others are finished yet. What catches my eye is a sword fight between a couple of fake wands, a tin parrot and a rubber haddock. It's actually really stupid but I'm still fascinated by it because there is nothing else to do. At the moment when the haddocks head falls on the floor because the parrot had beheaded it, Professor McGonagall starts talking again.

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age, I have something to say to you all." I hit Mers are to wake her up. She jumps up again and asks a sleepy 'what?' while she lazily rubs her arm where I hit her. "The Yule Ball is approaching — a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above — although you may invite a younger student if you wish —"

She is interrupted by 2 girls in the front, the same two girls who are always excited during Divination, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil who are giggling.

"As I was saying, dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continues, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then — The Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to — er — let our hair down," she says, in a disapproving voice. 

Lavender giggles even harder now, while she presses her hand hard against her mouth to stifle the sound. Mer and I look at each other, we finally see what was so funny: Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looks as though she had never let her hair down in any occasion. We start giggling too, but I like to believe a lot more restrained. Because that would be, how Draco puts it, more lady-like.

"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall goes on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way." 

The bell rang, and everyone packs their bags and leaves the classroom. 

"God! Now we need to go and look for good dance partners now everyone knows. And we need to be fast if we want good ones," Mer says when we're walking to our next class, Potions.

"I'm sure I know who _you_ want to go with," I say and grin at her with mischief in my eyes.

"Ow, like we don't already know who _you_ want to go with," she teases back with the same mischief in her eyes and the same grin on her face.

—————

"Today we will be brewing a Potion that would make the drinker younger. Who knows one?" Professor Snape asks. 

I poke Mer because I see her closing her eyes. Immediately her eyes fly open, "Yes, Professor!"

Hermione, who had her hand in the air, puts it down again and Draco gives us an angry glare. I look back at Professor Snape and try to have a neutral look on my face.

"Ah, Miss Black. How nice of you to wake up for my class. Now, please enlighten us with your answer." Professor Snape sneers.

"Uhm,..." I know she didn't hear the question so I repeat it in my head. She is a talented Legilimens so I know she will hear me. "Maybe the Shrinking Solution.., or something.."

Professor Snape just looks at her and narrows his eyes, looking at her with suspicion before his glance moves over to me. I just look back since I didn't do anything wrong, I just repeated the question in my head.

"Miss Black has decided that we will be making Shrinking Solution today. Go get your ingredients and start brewing."

The boy next to us sighs and looks up the instructions. I give a side glance to look at the instructions too.

_Juice two Shrivelfigs and add their ruby blood to your cauldron._ _Stir slowly._ _Gently heat your potion._ _Chop four daisy roots more finely and add to cauldron. Add five hairy caterpillars. Add well-shaken wormwood. Stir vigorously. Juice four leeches and add. Stir slowly and with caution. Shake rat spleen and add to cauldron. Add a splash of cowbane.Stir slowly. Heat at a high temperature. Wave wand in a particular figure._

I frown. Those are not the instructions I recall. I poke Mer again and when I have her attention I point to the instructions. 

"Those are not correct, are they? I believe we did it differently last time, no?" she asks.

"I recall so too," I answer while I open my book. 

 _Add five sliced caterpillars. Heat till the potion turns red. Shake the peeled Shrivelfig until it is ready (this is extra important,_ _as if one tries to add it before it is ready the potion may emit noxious green gases). Add peeled Shrivelfig until the potion turns yellow. Allow the potion to simmer till it turns purple. Add four rat spleens to the cauldron. Add the minced daisy roots till it turns green. Add five drops of leech juice. Add more of the Shrivelfig, this time till it turns pink. Add one sliced caterpillar. Allow the potion to simmer till it turns green._

I look over the instructions in my book. These are the one I remember. Mer and I look at each other and both shrug. We're just following our instructions.

"Luce I think you have the wrong instructions," I hear a familiar voice say behind me. I turn around and see Draco standing there. "But it's ok. You're not looking too good today, so I'll let it slip today. But I do hope that you'll look better soon, I don't want to go with a girl that looks like she has Necromancy." 

"I'm sorry how did you call her?" I hear Mer hiss angrily. I know I should say something too to defend myself. But I can't I'm too numb at the moment. "Where did you even get the idea that she wants to go with an ass like you?" she continues, getting more and more livid while she speaks louder and louder to the point where everybody at our table stops working just to look at us and to find out what is going on.

"You better watch your mouth Merope or father will hear about this," Draco threatens her. I see her open her mouth to — probably — yell lots of bad words to him but I have refound my voice.

"I appreciate your concern and I thank you for the offer, but I must decline since I've already been asked and I agreed," I say with an emotionless face while I look into his eyes.

Draco just looks at us with an angry and red face before he turns on his heels and walks seething back to his cauldron on the other table.

"Now we really need to get good dance partners," Mer looks at me with a huge grin on her face while I'm trembling on my legs.

"Looks like at least somebody was able to make a perfect Shrinking Solution," I jump up when I hear, again, a voice behind me. This time it's Professor Snape, to praise my potion while Mer just did the same as I and also has a perfect potion. I'm starting to think he hates her...


	10. Yule Ball

When I woke up this morning I could immediately tell it was Yule Ball today. Greengrass and Pansy are nervously walking around the room, worrying about all the stuff they need to get done before tonight. 

"Afterward I only have 2 hours to do my hair and another hour to do my makeup..." Greengrass keeps doing sentry-go in the common room. I'm seated at the table, doing Draco's DADA homework, and give her an angry glance. I can't concentrate if they're like this, can't they do it somewhere else? But I guess neither of them saw it, or they don't pay attention to me because they just continue.

"Lucinda, are you almost ready? I'm hungry and want to go eat," Draco says when he comes standing next to me.

"I'm almost done. Just one more line to end the conclusion and then I'm finished." I finish the last line and give him the piece of parchment.

"Now let's go eating 'cause I'm starving!" Draco says dramatically and looks nervously around. I see him looking at a stressing Pansy and Greengrass when he quickly takes my arm hand takes me with me out of the common room, to the corridor. Once we're outside he sighs; "Merlin, they're starting to stress me out."

I giggle. This is the side of Draco that I like the most, the side that prevents me from hating him, his cute side. 

"Don't tell me you're going with one of them?" I ask still giggling.

I see Draco's face become red and he turns his head away in embarrassment. "Well somebody didn't want to go with me.."

"If you asked nicely I would have. Anyone would."

He looks up surprised, "You really think anyone would want to go with me? And all I had to do was ask nicely?"

"Yes."

"You don't believe that do you," his face back to its emotionless self.

"Of course I do. You're quite handsome, Draco. I'm sure the girls here noticed, so if you would have asked them in a gentleman-like way I'm sure they would be more than willing to go with you."

Draco turns to me with his famous grin on his face. "So you think I'm handsome."

I start to blush but do not answer. I just keep continue walking and look straight in front of me. 

"I can't blame you. I mean, look at me. I'm too sexy for words. You just admitted it yourself."

"I never said that!" My voice a few octaves higher than normal.

We finally arrive at the Great Hall and see the Golden Trio, who arrive at almost the same time as we do but they are leaving while we are entering. 

"Hermione — who are you going to the ball with?" I hear the red-haired boy ask.

"I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me."

"You're joking, Weasley!" Draco laughs. "You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?"

Harry and Ron both whip around, but Hermione says loudly, waving to somebody over our shoulders, "Hello, Professor Moody!"

Draco next to me goes pale and jumps backwards, looking wildly around for Professor Moody, but he is nowhere around. "Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" Hermione says scathingly, and she, Harry, and Ron go up the marble staircase laughing heartily.

I giggle too, remembering the scene and wanting to relive that moment.

"Ow shut up, Luce!" Draco walks away with a clear red blush on his face from the embarrassment and anger. 

I try to stop giggling when I walk after him, but miserly fail at it. "I'm sorry Draco, she just made me remember how cute you were when you were a ferret." I apologize when I take place next to him.

"I don't want to be called cute, Luce. I'm a guy and I want to be called manly," Draco says sulking. And here we have his cute side again. 

"Well, I think you're really mainly when you're human," I say and have the urge to go with my hand through his hair to mess it up but I withhold myself from doing so.

"Pff, yeah right. You manly? Maybe in your dreams?" I hear Mer jeer. I look up and see her taking a seat in front of us. 

"Oh, Luce, Ilija and Timotei will be meeting us in front of the statue right before you take the stairs to go to the entrance hall. They say a friend of them, I believe his name was Sergei, will be waiting there too so we can all enter together."

I nod at the same time as Draco grumbled; "Who are Ilija and Timotei?"

Mer looks at him with played confusion and innocence. "They are our dates for tonight."

"Your dates?" Draco asks, getting red again.

"Yes, Draco. You know the one that will be your dance partner for the night. That is what it means when you say 'date'."

"I know what a date is, Merope. You don't need to tell me," Draco becomes even redder under his pale skin complexion resulting in a, what I find, cute pink blush.

"I'm curious. Who did you ask, Draco? Or should I say: who did you ask and said yes?"

Draco just glares at her and then turns again to continue eating.

"It's either Daphne Greengrass or Pansy Parkinson," I tell her instead.

"Lucinda!" Draco looks at me with big eyes. guess he didn't expect me to tell her. Pretty stupid since I tell her everything and if I don't tell her she's able to see it in my mind since she is a Legilimens.

"Come on, Draco. We're just teasing you. Besides we'll find out tonight anyway," Mer says with a smirk on her face.

—————

Mer is wearing a long green, elf-like dress. Her dark brown hair, normally slightly wavy, is now really curly and put in a low bun. Her makeup is in the same shades of green as her dress and makes her grey eyes look really stormy. She looks like a goddess, to say the least. 

And then, on the other hand, there is me in a pink dress and my dark ginger hair in a ponytail braid to the side with a pink ribbon in it. Makeup all done naturally so it looks like I'm not wearing any. Next to her, I look so naive and child-like. 

"We look awesome!" Mer is cheerfully examining herself in the mirror. 

She's so confident. It's hard to admit but I am jealous of her. I look again at my reflection and see my green eyes looking back at me. _I look so stupid_. 

I look down again and start fidgeting with the zoom of my dress.

"Ow, don't look so down. You look extremely cute at the moment! I'm sure Draco will regret it not asking you nicely." 

I look up and smile at her. She always knows what to say to make me feel better. 

"Now come on. We can not let our dates wait for us all night, now can we?"

—————

The entrance hall is packed full of students, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses are edging through the crowd trying to find one another. Luckily we found our dates before we went to the entrance hall.

"Draco is looking at you," Mer whispers in my ear with a smile on her face.

"Don't look!" I hit her arm and start to blush. She starts laughing so loud the people around us start looking. I look quickly over my shoulder to see Draco and see a group of Slytherins down the stairs. Draco is in front; he's wearing dress robes of black velvet with a high collar, which in my opinion makes him look so handsome and sophisticated. Pansy Parkinson in very frilly robes of pale pink is clutching Draco's arm. That should have been _my_ arm. Crabbe and Goyle are both wearing green and, from the looks of it, neither of them has managed to find a partner. 

The oak front doors open, and everyone turns to look as the Durmstrang students enter with Professor Karkaroff. Over their heads we could see that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights — meaning hundreds of actual living fairies are sitting in the rosebushes that have been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seems to be Father Christmas and his reindeer. The walls of the Hall are all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables have vanished; instead, there are about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.

It looks magical. Mer and I look at each other in admiration. I can already tell it is going to be a wonderful evening.


	11. A new Hufflepuff friend

The morning after the Yule Ball everybody was either too tired to get up or tired but still excited enough to get out of bed and gossip - or complain - about the night before. At the table where I'm seated, it's more the last one. 

"My feet hurt so much," Mer moans next to me. She has her right cheek on the table and looks up at me. Probably to look for condolences, not that she'll get some from me. Oh, no. My feet hurt just as much and I think we all know who's fault that is!

"You were the one who wanted to dance all night. You didn't even let me take a rest! My feet hurt now too, you know."

"Luce, you're so mean to me," she whines playfully while closing her eyes. "It's still morning you know. Give me a break."

I sigh and look around the table. A few seats away from us I see Fleur complaining about the lack of decoration last night to a Hufflepuff. Poor guy.

"Zas was nothing. At ze Palace of Beauxbatons, we 'ave ice sculptures all around ze dining chamber at Chreestmas. Zey do not melt, of course... zey are like 'uge statues of diamond, glittering around ze place. And ze food is seemply superb. And we 'ave choirs of wood nymphs, 'oo serenade us as we eat. We 'ave none of zis ugly armor in ze 'alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entaired into Beauxbatons, 'e would be expelled like zat." She slaps her hand onto the table impatiently.

The Hufflepuff was still just staring at her face and noticed too late that she waited for confirmation since she sends him a glance. "Absolutely right," he says quickly, slapping his own hand down on the table in imitation of Fleur. "Like that. Yeah."

"Hey," I hear someone say and gets my attention. I look up and see a Hufflepuff guy take a seat in front of me.

"Hi," I say back, before checking what Mer is doing but I notice that she has fallen asleep.

"Your friend must be really tired that she's able to sleep in this noise," the guy says.

"Yeah, she's a master at sleeping. Once I wanted to wake her up by using two pans, but even that didn't work."

"Wow, she's good... My name is Ernest Macmillan by the way," Ernest says and sticks out his hand for me to shake. I take it and introduce myself too. "Oh, we all know who you are. We're in the same year and have some classes together."

"Ow, I didn't notice sorry. It's just so difficult. All those new faces and names, it's really impossible to remember them all. But I didn't know we stood out that much. I mean of course there is a uniform difference but still."

"It's not only because of the uniforms - because they count too, I mean look at them! - but it's mostly because of how smart and talented the two of you are."

I look down and blush, "... You do know how to complement a girl.."

"Oh,.." he cries out, what makes me look up, and see his face as red as a tomato, "That wasn't my intention, I just wanted to start a conversation. But it is true, though, even Hermione Granger is not as smart as you are and she's the best of our year!"

"Hermione Granger? You mean the girl who is friends with Harry Potter?" I ask, just to be sure I have the right person in mind.

"Yes, she was the date of Viktor Krum last night," Ernest confirms.

"And thee music! What waz zey name again? The Weird Sisters. Awful!" Fleur cries out loudly and get's our attention. The Hufflepuff boy nodding fiercely, to make sure she notices he's on time.

"Poor Zacharias. She's so beautiful but the only thing she does is complaining," Ernest sighs, what catches my attention. He isn't enchanted by her beauty. I look at him with newfound curiosity and he must have noticed because he faces back.

"You must wonder why I'm the only guy here who doesn't get in a trance, right?" he smiles apologetically.

"Well, I can't deny I am curious. There aren't many guys who can resist it."

"I'm not into girls."

"So you're gay!" Mer suddenly jumps up, fully awake. Ernest has the funniest expression on his face that I've ever seen. The shock on his face is clearly an understatement.

"Ehm, yeah I am," he answers once he recovers from the sudden surprise.

"Awesome! I always wanted a gay friend," Mer says with such a big grin that Ernest carefully moves backwards. Mer notices too and is suddenly really restrained. "You do want to be my friend, right?"

"Ehm,.. Sure, why not," he agrees cautious.

"Good, means you're my friend too. Because a friend of Mer is a friend of me," I answer with a smile.

"Finally! Now you can finally socialize with people who aren't Draco-approved," Mer says like it's a huge relief for her.

"And what do you mean by that?" I ask offended.

"Well, since we arrived here, you've only talked to people you already knew or with friends of Draco. It's clearly time to broaden your horizon."

Ernest starts laughing what catches our attention. "I can already tell you two will be a lot of fun to hang out with!"

\-----

After breakfast, we followed Ernest to the greenhouses because we all had Herbology together. When we enter the classroom, we are laughing so hard we catch the attention of everyone in the room so we true to stop and go to a table together. Gosh, he's so funny. How come we never noticed him before?

"Good morning, class," Professor Sprout greets us and the whole room goes silent, "Today we will be replanting some Aconite. Can anybody tell me what that is?"

Only two hands rise in the air; mine and Hermione's. I'm surprised we're the only ones who know this. I'm sure Mer knows it too, but she's just too lazy to stick up her hand.

"Yes, Miss Evans?" I see Hermione drop her hand disappointed and I try not to smile too triumphantly.

"There are over 250 species of Aconitum, the most common of which are known as aconite, monkshood, or wolfsbane. Its flowers are useful in potion-making, but its leaves are very toxic. The root of aconite can be used as a potion ingredient. Aconite is most commonly known as an ingredient of Wolfsbane Potion or for Wideye or Awakening Potion."

"Nerd," Mer coughs, what makes Ernest chortles and me glare at the two of them.

"Very good. Now I want all of you to take a pot in pairs of three and replant them in these bigger pots. Wear your gloves but do please try to be careful to not damage the leaves. Ones the toxin comes out you need to be extremely cautious not to touch it or inhale it."

\-----

"Luce!" I look up from my homework when I hear Draco call me. I see him walking into the Slytherin common room with an angry expression on his face.

"What have I heard?" He starts when he arrived at my desk, "I've heard you've become friends with a filthy Puffie?!"

"Yeah, I have," I try to be casual and continue my homework.

"As I remember correctly I haven't heard you asking my permission to be friends with him or anyone for that matter."

"That's correct. I haven't," I say, feeling so rebellious. I'm sure Mer would be proud if she could hear me.

I don't need to look up to know Draco's face is flushed red with anger. I know exactly how he reacts to these sort of things since Mer does it all the time.

"You still need to give me your DADA homework so I can make it," I say without looking up.

He throws his schoolbag on the table and leaves while angrily muttering about how his father will hear about this.


	12. The Second Task

"We still 'aven't figured out the hint of the egg," Madame Maxime says sternly. "The second défi est seulement une week from now. We really need to figure it out! Does nobody 'ave any ideas?"

Madame Maxime looks around the table but nobody responds. Mer and I look at each other and I can tell we're thinking the same thing: 'I didn't know this was a team challenge?' 

"Afin, we need a plan. Somebody must have an idea, non?" she sighs while taking a nip of her glass.

"Madame, why don't you give the egg to the two of them?" Mathilde nods in our direction, "You said they were still too young to participate but would be helpful in thinking out strategies."

"C'est vrais," Madame Maxime sighs again and now turns to us, "The two of you have three days to figure this out because then we'll need to work on our strategy."

\-----

"Yeah, sure. Why not? Give the task to us so we can solve it for Fleur!" To say Mer is slightly irritated would be an understatement. "Can't Miss Beau-Visage do anything by herself? She's in her last year, for Merlin's sake, and she still can't do anything alone!"

"What would Madame Maxime do if we're unable to find out the clue by Sunday evening?" I ask a little concerned. I know all too well how much our Headmistress hates to lose.

"Who cares?! Fleur is the one who needs to participate in the tasks next Friday, not us," Mer looks at me with eyes burning from the excitement of rebellion until she sees my face. I'm sure it is covered with concern, "It's just a game, right? Figuring out the egg, it's just a game we need to solve by logical thinking and we're smart, don't deny that. You know that is the only reason she agreed with Mr Malfoy to take us with her. We can do this!"

Two days past and we didn't find a thing. The only thing we noticed, besides the horrible sound, was that there were little bubbles in some sort of jelly substance.

"That's it!" Mer cries out, "The bubbles! The first task was dragons, they breathe fire. But the inside of this egg is a fluid. I bet it's a water challenge next!"

"Don't you think that's a little too obvious. I mean it can be just a coincidence."

"You know my favourite saying, no?" Mer says with a playful look in her eyes. 

"Nothing is ever a coincidence," I recite her mantra while rolling my eyes, "But what are we supposed to do? Hold in underwater, or so? That's just stupid."

"We can try, can't we?" she clearly has these twinkling stars of pure excitement in her eyes like she is about to solve the biggest mystery in the whole wide world. We walk over to the bathroom and start filling the sink before putting the egg in and opening it.

To my surprise, it doesn't scream like it usually does. We can hear a vague melody coming out of it, but it is still not understandable. 

"I think you need to be under water to hear it more clearly," I say and Mer immediately puts her head in the sink.

When she comes back up, water dripping down on the floor, "Ok, write this down;" She dictates what she heard while I write down what she says. When she's done I look at the paper and Mer starts drying her hair.

_Come seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching ponder this;_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And to recover what we took,_

_But past an hour, the prospect's black,_

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

"So, our work is done," Mer says with the satisfaction hearable in her voice.

"Not yet. I'll translate it briefly so Fleur can understand it."

\-----

"Descends nous visiter et entends nos paroles, nous devons pour chanter être au-dessous du sol. À présent, réfléchis, exerce ton esprit, ce qui t'est le plus cher, nous te l'avons ravi, pendant une heure entière il te faudra chercher si tu veux trouver ce qu'on t'a arraché. Après l'heure écoulée, renonce à tout espoir tes efforts seront vains car il sera trop tard," Fleur reads out loud, "I don't understand. What will the task be?"

Mer rolls her eyes at me. I give a small smile back before looking back to Fleur.

"You just need to find a way to be able to breathe underwater since it will be a task that you will have to accomplice within the hour."

"C'est tout?" she asks confused.

"I'm sure you'll need to conquer other difficulties once you're in the water," Mer answers in a duh-tone. 

"What are you doing to do to stay underwater?" I ask in a more gentle tone than Merope obviously would have.

"A Bubble-Head Charm of course," Fleur says with a superior look in her eyes before she turns around and walks away.

"You know, one of these days I'm going to hex that pretty face of her," Mer comments in a whisper voice.

\-----

The seats that had encircled the dragons' enclosure in November are now ranged along the opposite bank, rising in stands that are packed to the bursting point and reflected in the lake below. 

"There are so many people here. Even more than last time," Mer states in awe before she starts complaining, "It's impossible to see Ernie. We're never going to find him like this."

" _Periculum_!" I take my wand and send red sparks into the air. "I'm sure he saw that," I explain when Mer gives me a questioning look.

"You think?" we hear a voice behind us. We turn around to see Ernest.

"Ernie! We thought we would never find you in this mad place," Mer gives Ernest a hug.

"Looks like I'm just in time because there is Harry coming," he says when he looks at the Lake.

Mer and I look too and see someone sprinting. The excited babble of the crowd echoes strangely across the water as Harry Potter runs flat-out around the other side of the lake toward the judges, who are sitting at another gold-draped table at the water's edge. Cedric, Fleur, and Krum are standing beside the judges' table, watching Harry sprint toward them. 

"I'm . . . here . . ." Harry pants, skidding to a halt in the mud and accidentally splattering Fleur's robes. Her proud-hearted face changes to one of disgust. Karkaroff and Madame Maxime aren't looking pleased with seeing him at all. It's obvious from the looks on their faces that they thought he wasn't going to turn up.

"Where have you been?" one of the judges asks bossy with a disapproving voice. "The task's about to start!"

"Now, now, Percy!" another judge appeases, "Let him catch his breath!"

"He's lucky he's still on time," Ernest says almost bitter.

"Wow, Ernie. Why so bitter?" I ask playfully with a smile on my face.

"Well, he is only the second Hogwarts Champion. Cedric is from my house, Harry isn't. Plus he cheated by I don't know how getting his name in the Goblet."

"I can tell you're no friends," Mer sniggers, before pointing to the ginger twins, "Those two, what can you tell me about them?"

"They're the Weasley twins, Fred and George. They're true pranksters. they're hilarious!" 

"Prankers, huh? Looks like I'll need to go and ask for advice sometimes."

When Ernest looks confused, I explain; "Mer loves to prank, but here she doesn't really know the place all that well or the people."

" _Sonorus_!" and a voice booms out across the dark water toward the stands.

"That's a spell I need to learn too," I giggle to Mer and Ernie.

"Especially when you talk about Draco, hmm?" Mer wiggles her eyebrows.

"Malfoy?" Ernest asks in utter surprise, "You fancy Malfoy?" 

"Shh!" I face again towards the lake and try to hide the blush on my cheeks.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One, two, three!" A whistle echoes shrilly in the cold, still air; the stands erupt with cheers and applause, and the Champions jump into the water.

Only a few minutes after the Champions dived into the water, Fleur comes out again. Well, looks like she failed. For some reason, she is hysterical and starts crying. Or at least I think she does, it's hard to tell from up here.

After an hour passed Cedric and a girl came out of the water. Some minutes later Krum and Hermione Granger do too. Ten minutes later Harry Potter and 2 others come out as well; Ron Weasley and Gabrielle Delacour.

Madame Maxime was trying to restrain Fleur Delacour, who was quite hysterical, fighting tooth and nail to return to the water.

"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?" we can hear Fleurs desperate cries very clearly. When Fleurs breaks free of Madame Maxime, she runs straight to her sister and starts hugging her.

"It was ze grindylows . . . zey attacked me . . . oh, Gabrielle, I thought . . . I thought . . ." 

What catches my attention is Dumbledore's behaviour. Dumbledore is crouching at the water's edge, deep in conversation with a particularly wild and ferocious-looking female, what seems to be the chief merperson. He's making the same sort of screechy noises that the merpeople made when they were above water; clearly, Dumbledore can speak Mermish? Mer and I look at each other before we start laughing hysterically. Ernest just gives us a weird look before focusing back on what is happening at the Lake. 

"A conference before we give the marks, I think," Dumbledore says and the judges go into a huddle.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows... Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

We give a polite round of applause.

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." Enormous cheers from the Hufflepuffs in the crowd; Ernest enthusiastic cheers too. "We, therefore, award him forty-seven points." 

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points." Now Karkaroff is clapping particularly hard, looking very superior.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect," Bagman continues. "He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr Potter was first to reach the hostages and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own. Most of the judges feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However... Mr Potter's score is forty-five points."

"What? That's not fair!" Ernest protests, "He should just have stuck to his own hostage!"

"Ow, come on Ernie. It is rather noble and heroic to want to save everyone," Mer says. Ernest just growls and claps a few times.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty- fourth of June," Bagman continues. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."


	13. Trip to Hogsmeade

Everybody was busy making their potion when suddenly something caught Professor Snape's attention.

"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger," says his icy voice breaking the silence in the quiet dungeon, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor. Ah, reading magazines under the table as well?" Snape snatches up a copy of a magazine. "A further ten points from Gryffindor... oh but of course Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings..." 

Mer and I start laughing and so do the Slytherins else. The dungeon rings laughter, and a smile curls Snape's mouth and he begins to read the article aloud.

" _Harry Potter's Secret Heartache_... dear, dear, Potter, what's ailing you now? _A boy like no other, perhaps_... " Snape pauses at the end of every sentence to allow us to laugh. " _Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate..._ ," Snape sneers. "How very touching. Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter — that table in front of my desk. Move. Now." 

It's clear to see that Harry Potter is furious when he goes to the front desk, followed by Professor Snape. Mer and I give each other a last smile before resuming our work. The faster this is done, the faster we can go and do something else.

There's a knock on the dungeon door. The class looks around as the door opens and Professor Karkaroff comes in. Everyone watches him as he walks up toward Snape's desk. 

I look interested to the desk and try to hear something but I'm too far away to hear anything. 

"Stop being so damn curious and move on. I want to go and have lunch," Mer complains and gets my attention back to my potion. When the bell rings I hand in a sample and the two of us go to the Great Hall.

\-----

"So wait, let me get this straight: you fancy Malfoy?" 

"But you're not," Mer sniggers.

"You know what I meant with it," Ernie rolls his eyes before looking back to me.

"Just let it go already!" I groan. This is not how I imagined my lunch to be.

"I'm sorry but that is not gonna happen. That is just something I can not forget. So tell me, how did that happen?"

"There is nothing to it. I swear!" I cry out of frustration. Some people who are seated a bit further away turn to look at us. I turn away, with a red head, to not encourage their attention.

"You are a terrible liar, Lucinda Evens!" Merope says and I give her a death glare. Why must she betray me like that, Ernest could have bought it!

"Oh, come on! He noticed right away. He didn't need my help to find that out," Mer defends herself.

"Yes, I did. And can you please stop talking like I'm not here. It's annoying. Now, back to the subject; what happened that you fell for Malfoy's mysteriously dark charms?"

I sigh because I know there is no way he will ever give up if I don't give him something.

"I just think he has like the most stormiest eyes. That's all," I shrug while looking at my plate.

"You do realize we have the same eyes, right?" Mer spoils it again, which gives me an alibi to give her again one of my death glares. "Fine, I get the hint; different subject. So Ernie, are you going to Hogsmeade today?"

"Of course I am. I need a new stock of stuff from Zonko's Joke Shop. You can come with me if you want. Luce, told me you're a prankster so I think you should really have been to  that shop at least once."

It's both amusing and annoying to see both their eyes lighting up at the idea of going to this shop. Cause that means they both want to prank people and we'll totally get into trouble and then Mr Malfoy will be angry again. Mer doesn't care about that, but I do! That man is scary when he's mad and I can't really say that I enjoy his punishments that much to go and ask for them. But I do like the looks on peoples faces when they get caught off guard... Damn it! 

"Looks like your mental fight is over. So it's time to go shopping!" Mer cries out, people looking at us again. Damn, she knows me too well.

\-----

"Over there you have Dervish & Banges. It sells and repairs all kinds of magical instruments. If you need new quills you need to be there, at Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. They sell various quills and parchment. They even sell rainbow ink. And there you have Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, it's a small teashop mostly for couples. But's way too pink in there if you ask me. At the end is The Three Broomsticks Inn. It's a rather popular pub. We can go there to drink some Butterbeer later," Ernest enthusiastically gives us a tour at the High Street at Hogsmeade. "Oh, and over here we have Honeydukes. That's a legendary wizarding sweets shop. It's mostly famous for its chocolate and many, wonderful and wild sweets. We can you in if you want," Ernie suggests when he sees Mer's eyes light up at the mention of chocolate.

"Yes!" she cries out and drags us with her to the sweet shop.

Inside there are shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-coloured toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavour Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizzbees; along yet another wall were 'Special Effects' sweets: Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps, Ice Mice, peppermint creams shaped like toads, fragile sugar-spun quills and exploding bonbons.

"Wow, amazing!" Mer says in awe when we just stand there in the shop, "I need a bit of everything!"

I roll my eyes when I see her run away to the shelves to collect her candies. She always needs to exaggerate. I laugh a little when I see Ernie with an expression of disbelieve in his eyes.

"Is she really gonna take a bit of everything? That's really expensive!"

"She's rich. She can afford it," I just shrug. I'm used to this already.

"Damn, rich people," Ernest mutters softly to himself.

When Mer was finished we first go to Zonko's Joke Shop and then to The Three Broomsticks.

"Gosh, this is delicious," I say when I take a nip from my Butterbeer. 

"I know right," Ernie answers and takes another swig from his glass to empty it. "Looks like it's almost time to head back to the castle."

Mer and I quickly finish our Butterbeers before leaving the pub.

"Look who we have here," Ernie mumbles looking in the direction of the mountain. "Hey, Potter. Looks like your Grim is walking right next to you. Maybe it's a bad omen for the next task."

Mer shoves him in the chest while I scroll him; "That is not a nice thing to say. That boy has already enough problems to worry about."

"Aw, I thought you fancied Malfoy," he looks at me before he faces Mer, "and you Fred Weasley. Why do mind Potter so much? Does one of you fancy him too?"

"Of course not! Don't be silly. But it's just not nice," Mer answers angry, ready to hit him again. 

"Ok, Ok. I get it! Please don't hit me again," Ernest puts up his hand to show his surrender.

We just walk back to the castle. I turn around a lot since I have this creepy feeling we are being watched. But every time I look back to see who is following us, I see nobody.


	14. Sirius Black

"Gosh, I'm starving. Again!" Mer complains, again, when we're on our way to Care of Magical Creatures. 

"You must have a supermassive black hole in your stomach. How is it even possible that you're hungry again. We've just had breakfast and you ate like half a dozen of pancakes, a mountain of kippers and a double portion of eggs and bacon!" I try to reason her.

"I can't help it!" she puts her hands in the air as a more theatrical tint of her admitting defeat. She's such a drama queen from time to time, "Ernie, you ate a lot too. Back me up here!"

"Oh, I'm staying out of this one. And as a matter of fact, I didn't eat half as much as you did."

"Traitor," she sticks out her tongue just before we reach the class.

"Good 'orning class! Today we'll be discussing something rather interesting and fun. Follow me!" the half-giant named Hagrid says and we follow him into the forest. 

"His definition of interesting and fun is different than mine. I hope this time I don't get bitten or that my ropes don't get burned," Ernie states gloomy while we follow the professor deeper into the forest until we arrive at two large boxes.

"Now, come stand around me, please. Don't be shy," Professor Hagrid goes to one of the boxes and opens it. "Tada!"

The front of the first box is now open but there are still bars before it. The creature inside has the body of an over-large lion: great clawed paws and a long yellowish tail ending in a brown tuft. Its head that of a woman. It's a Sphinx. 

"How awesome! I've never seen one in real life," I say in awe while Mer and Ernie both give me a look of aversion. 

"I'm sure you all know what this is 'ight. But what can you tell me about it?"

A girl in the front, I recognize her as Hermione Granger puts up her hand.

"It's a Sphinx. It's a magical creature native to Egypt. It has the head of human, and the body of a lion. Sphinxes are capable of human speech, and are known for their love of puzzles, riddles, and enigmas. When the Ministry of Magic began categorizing magical creatures, the Sphinx was placed in the Beast category rather than the Being category due to their violent tendencies."

"Very good! Very good. Ten points to Gryffindor. Now let's open the second box and see what you make of that one." 

Professor Hagrid opens the second box and shows again a creature with the body of an oversized lion. But this time with the head of an eagle.

"Can anybody tell me what this is?" 

Hermione puts her hand up again, as do I this time. The professor points to me and I see the clear disappointment of her. I try to hide a smile while I answer.

"This one is a Griffin. It's originated in Greece. It has the front legs, wings and head of a giant eagle, and the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion. The main diet of the Griffin is raw meat. Griffins are known as fierce creatures, however, despite this, skilled Wizards have been able to befriend them. Griffins are often used by wizards as guards of treasure, like Sphinxes."

"Well done. Well done"

"Professor, since she isn't sorted into one of our house maybe you can give some points to Hufflepuff instead since she's my friend," Ernest says with a big smile.

"You know that is not how it works, Mr Macmillan," Professor Hagrid keckles before continuing his class. At the end of the class, he gives us our homework, "For next class I want you to make a 20 cm long essay on the differences and similarities between these two creatures. Next time we'll continue with our Fire Crabs."

It's clear that no one is looking out for that since everybody groans in protest or sighs. To be honest, I'm not looking forward to those Fire Crabs either.

On our way out of the forest, I notice something following us. I poke Mer and give her a look, but I can tell she noticed too. We start walking slower to separate us from the rest of the class and stay behind.

"What's going on?" Ernest obviously doesn't have a clue of what's going on.

"We were being followed. Grab your wand," Mer tells him before looking around, "We know you're here. Show yourself."

"I should have known you wouldn't be fooled that easily," a voice says before a man walks out from behind a tree. I recognize the man immediately. Not because I've seen his face on the wanted posters, but because I saw him foto albums. It's Mers father.

"That Sirius Black! The mass murderer. We need to get out of here!" Ernie whispers in a panicked voice, but neither Mer or I move. I look at Mers face, she looks like she has seen a ghost. "What are you doing? We need to get out of here!" Ernie desperately tries to get our attention and speaks louder.

"Shut up, Ernie! Keep calm. He's not going to do anything," I try to shut him up.

"He's a mass murderer, Lucinda. How can you expect me to keep calm," he now cries out.

"He's right. How do you know for sure that I won't do anything to you," Sirius Black says.

"Because you're Mers father. You'd never hurt her. And besides you never killed those people," I answer but I'm still looking at Mers face while she is still frozen, unable to do or say anything.

"You know?" his voice breaks and he looks confused.

"Mrs Black always told us you would never do such a thing."

"Don't call her that. She never liked it. Mary always liked her maidens name."

"Mom always used the Black family name," Mer speaks for the first time, tears running down her face. 

"She did? Wow, never expected that", he laughs. 

They're clearly having a moment and I feel so out of place right now. I look at Ernie and see he feels just the same.

"What happened to her? I can't seem to find anyone who knows where I can find her."

"She's dead... Dragon Pox," Mers voice breaks while tears are still running down her face. Now there also escaped a tear from Sirius' eyes. 

"I'm sorry," he looks down and the tear hits the ground, "Who's been taking care of you then?"

"Mom died when I was four, the Malfoy's have been taking care of me ever since. That's where I've met Lucinda. She's also been taken care of by them."

"Yes, Lucinda. You look just like an exact copy of your mother."

"You knew my mother?" I ask confused, and suddenly less uncomfortable.

"Of course I knew your mother, I mean she did marry my best friend. Your brother was also surprised when I told him. I would be impossible to not know her, we went to Hogwarts together and there wasn't a moment when James didn't talk about her—"

"I have a brother?!" I ask in disbelieve. A brother I never even heard of before? That's not possible!

"Hmm, Harry made it sound like he didn't know you either. What surname do you use?"

"Evans,"

"Your mothers. Harry uses Potter, your fathers. Maybe that's way neither of you thought about it,"

"Harry Potter is your brother! The Harry Potter?!" Ernest screams out in disbelieve. When we look at him he mumbles a small apology. I totally forgot about him.

"So that's one of your friends, huh, well it's nice to meet you," Sirius comes closer and sticks out his hand for Ernie to shake it. He takes it with a bit of doubt but shakes it quite firmly.

"Ernest Macmillan, sir."

"I think it's time for you to go back to the castle before someone notices you're gone. I'll send an owl when I'll be able to meet again. Oh, and can I please ask you to help Harry a little bit with his talks. Somebody is after him so he can use all the help he can get."

\-----

"Why you never told me you were the daughter of Sirius Black?" Ernie asks. I can hear a bit of hurt in his voice.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me about his innocence so you would only judge me for it," Mer answers not looking up from her plate.

"I wouldn't have!" he goes on defence.

"Of course you wouldn't," Mer sends him a death glare before looking back at her plate.

Suddenly there is a lot of noise when a group of Ravenclaws come in.

"What's going on?" Ernie asks one of them.

"Looks like they found Mr Crouch again," the Ravenclaw boy tell us.

"He's back? What happened to him?" I ask.

"He's dead."


	15. Disturbed and Dangerous

"Stop saying it could have been my father," Mer says annoyed.

"I wasn't saying anything!" Ernie cries out in defence.

"You were thinking it. Stop doing that, It's annoying!" She hisses back.

"I was not!" he tries but we all know it's no point lying to a Legilimens, they just see right through you. Ernie got that point too, but still tries more calmly, "I wasn't really considering it as an option though it did cross my mind for a second."

"Now, something different. Do you think we should tell him? Harry I mean, about you being his sister?" Mer looks at me.

"I don't think that would be a good idea. He already has the Tournament to think about, he doesn't need more distractions."

"True, but how can we help him without getting suspicious?" 

"Wait, you do realize that I'm still sitting here and I totally support Cedric," when the two of us give him a look he gives up, "Fine... Hermione, she's the smart one of the trio, plant some information inside her head with you Legilimency. Potter would never suspect something that comes from her brains."

\-----

"Look, Lucinda! It's really funny." 

I was just sitting in the Slytherin common room, nicely doing my (and Draco's) homework when suddenly someone needs to disturb me. Sadly it's always the same person who does so; Draco Malfoy.

I look up with an emotionless face, so he wouldn't see my irritation. "What is it this time, Draco?"

"I gave an interview and thought you want to read it. I can tell you, it's a really good one. And funny too. I'm sure you'll find it amusing." I take the paper from his hand and start reading.

**_HARRY POTTER "DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS"_ **

_The boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is unstable and possibly dangerous, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter's strange behaviour, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, or even to attend Hogwarts School._

Seriously, the title only reveals it's gonna be bad and that first paragraph, if it's an article of Rita Skeeter it can't be any good. Skipping some parts is the solution.

_Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him). On Monday last, midway through a Divination lesson, your Daily Prophet reporter witnessed Potter storming from the class, claiming that his scar was hurting too badly to continue studying. It is possible, say top experts at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that Potter's brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You-Know-Who, and that his insistence that the scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion. "He might even be pretending," said one specialist. "This could be a plea for attention."_

"I presume the specialist they mention here is you?" I look up.

"Yes, but of course she couldn't put my name on that one. Imagine what Potter would do to me to bring me in discredit. But do continue reading, I'm mentioned at the end!"

_The Daily Prophet, however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, has carefully concealed from the wizarding public. "Potter can speak Parseltongue," reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth year. "There were a lot of attacks on students a couple of years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a duelling club and set a snake on another boy. It was all hushed up, though. But he's made friends with werewolves and giants too. We think he'd do anything for a bit of power."_

Did he do such a thing? I don't know. He's my brother but I don't think we spoke more than three words to each other. Would he really have been capable this? I know most of it must be wrong since it's written by Rita Skeeters, but she always uses some truth to start from... Right? 

"Ok, I read it," I look up and see his arrogant face with a small hint of anticipation. He wants me to tell him what kind of genius he is.

"Brilliant right. I know. It's so funny," Draco is laughing, and so do his friends, but he stops when he sees my straight face and it turns into doubt.

"You're not laughing. Why are you not laughing? It's brilliant!"

"Don't you think you're getting a bit too old for this. I mean, this was obviously meant to torment him. Those things are for kids who bully each other. Don't you think it's time to grow up a little bit. Next year is your O.W.L. year, doesn't your father too want you to be more mature?"

I know mentioning his father was a bad thing when I see the new look on his face.

"I just wanted to cheer you up a bit. You've been looking rather gloomy the last couple of days. But I can clearly see my geniusness is wasted on you and you clearly do not appreciate my input in your wellbeing. So don't worry, I will no longer." 

"geniusness is not a real word and here is your Herbology homework. I'm finished."

I walk up to the girl dormitory, not wanting to see his face anymore. His face was an emotionless one, the face of how an aristocratic should be but hidden under his words and his facade I could see I hurt him.

\-----

"What are they doing?" Ernest asks while he's looking at something that is behind me and Mer. We turn around and look at the Slytherin table where Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle are laughing while tapping their heads with their fingers, pulling grotesquely mad faces, and waggling their tongues like snakes. I follow their glances and see a well-known trio at the Gryffindor table.

"Draco gave a new interview to Rita Skeeters about Harry. It's just something stupid," I sigh and poke my toast around with my fork.

" I hope he doesn't let hit get to him because the third task is this afternoon." Mer looks concerned in his direction. But we're met by Dumbledores voice before we can say another thing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr Bagman down to the stadium now." 

I look over to see my brother getting up while getting loud applause of the Gryffindors all along the table. We see him heading off out of the Great Hall with Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor. 


	16. The Third Task

When we arrive at the Quidditch pitch we go and look for a good place to be seated. The field was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge runs all the way around the edge of it. There's a gap right in front of us: the entrance or exit to the vast maze I presume. The passage beyond it looks rather dark and creepy if you ask me. 

"Well look who we have here," we hear a voice say from behind us.

"We didn't expect you to come and sit with us Hogwarts supporters," an almost identical voice says. 

The three of us turn around and see the Weasley twins behind us. They both have huge smiles on their faces. 

"Looks like I'm better company than their schoolmates," Ernie jokes. 

The twins look at him with narrow their eyes and look at him. "Who are you cheering for?"

"Hogwarts." Ernest doesn't seem taken back. I guess he was expecting the question.

"We're supporting Harry if you want to know. We did buy his ticket," I try to enlighten the mood since the twins a still scanning Ernie and Mer is too shy to say a thing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each — Mr Cedric Diggory and Mr Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause send birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points — Mr Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place — Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!" Only a few people, including us, are applauding politely.

The first whistle goes and Harry and Cedric enter the maze. After only a few steps they were almost invisible to us since the long shadows and the sun who was setting made it too dark in there to see anything more than a silhouette. When the second whistle goes Krum enters the maze, though he doesn't seem like his normal self. At the third, it's Fleurs time to enter, who does with great hesitation while she keeps looking back.

"Well, this is just as much to watch as the lake challenge. We can't see a bloody thing what's happening in there! How disappointing," Ernie complains. He's right though, we wait twenty minutes before we hear a scream, easily recognized as one of Fleurs, before red sparks are sent in the air. Looks like she gave up.

Mer gasps suddenly and takes my hand. I look around to see if anybody noticed but everybody is busy chatting and discussing the outcome. 

"Lucinda, you are not going to believe what I just saw," horror is written on her face. Mer is rarely scared so it has me worried.

"What did you see?" I question her while I examen her eyes to find out what she's hiding.

"Not here," she takes my hand and pulls me away.

"Hey, where are you going? It hasn't finished yet," Ernie asks confused.

"We need to go to the bathroom. Ladies stuff," I say quickly and that seems to scare him off.

"We need to speak to my father immediately. This is bad," Mer says, still pulling me behind her.

"Mer we're out of the crowd. Can't you tell me now?"

She stops abruptly and faces my way, terror is written all over it. It must be something really awful.

"Tell me. How bad is it," I demand her.

"The person who entered him into the Tournament sabotaged the Cup tonight. They turned it into a Portkey..."

"And we can't tell the organizers since we don't know if maybe one of them did it," I finish. This is indeed very bad. "Did you see where it took him?" 

"Some graveyard," she mumbles while she continues dragging me with her. "He's going to rise again. I saw him being reborn."

I know there is only one person she can be talking about right now. The only person she would be this terrified of returning and who would be capable of being reborn is Lord Voldemort.

"We cannot have that happening, I'm afraid," a voice says coming from a shadow on our right side. "You see, there have been months and months of planning to make sure tonight can finally happen." 

I turn just in time to see the face of my attacker before I pass out and fall onto Merope.

\-----

"Wake up," somebody whispers in my ear while shaking me heavily. What demon wakes people up like this!

I slowly open my eyes and through my blurry sight, I can recognize Merope. I want to ask what's going on but she puts her hand over my mouth to shut me up.

I push her hand away and try to sit up. When I hear a certain voice all my memories of earlier come back to me.

"And the Death Eaters? They returned?" I hear Professor Moody's voice coming from the other part of the room. My eyes turn wide and I look at Mer, maybe she knows what's going on.

"It's your brother in there, but I don't know what they're talking about," she says with her Legilimens powers immediately inside my head.

"How did he treat them? Did he forgive them?" I hear Professor Moody asking again.

"There's a Death Eater at Hogwarts! There's a Death Eater here — they put my name in the Goblet of Fire, they made sure I got through to the end —" I hear Harry cry out.

Mer and I look at each other again.

"He is the one! We need to go and get a teacher," Mer says again inside my head.

"No, there is no time. We need to do it ourselves. Who knows what he will have done to Harry when we return," I say in my mind, knowing she's reading it at the moment.

"He's a Death Eater. We can't get him ourselves!"

"Then one of us stays here while the other goes to get help. If something happens we can distract him and we know how much longer we need to buy time. I'll say here, you go get some help."

"Be careful," Mer gets up and tries, as silent as possible, to get outside of Moody's office. 

"The Dark Lord didn't manage to kill you, Potter, and he so wanted to," Moody starts. "Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him. I gave you to him — the thing he needed above all to regenerate — and then I killed you for him. I will be honoured beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter... closer than a son... The Dark Lord and I have much in common. Both of us, for instance, had very disappointing fathers. Very disappointing indeed. Both of us suffered the indignity, Harry, of being named after those fathers. And both of us had the pleasure, the very great pleasure, of killing our fathers to ensure the continued rise of the Dark Order!"

"You're mad," I hear my brother cry out, "you're mad!" 

No! He's going to kill Harry. What can I do? Come on Mer!

I take my wand and slowly come out of my hiding place.

"Mad, am I?" Moody answers, his voice rising uncontrollably. "We'll see! We'll see who's mad, now that the Dark Lord has returned, with me at his side! He is back, Harry Potter, you did not conquer him — and now — I conquer you!"

I see Moody raise his wand at the moment I yell; "Stupefy!"

 A blinding flash of red light comes out of my wand and hits the professor in the back — Moody flys through the air and hits the wall before he falls down. 

"Well, I must say that was a nice one Mss Evans," I hear a voice say behind me. I turn around and see Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Merope who is hiding behind them. Professor McGonagall goes straight to Harry while the others keep standing in their spot.

"Thank you, professor," I answer dumbfounded. I can't believe I just did that. I attacked a professor! I'm so gonna be expelled...

"There is no need to worry about that since you didn't actually attack a professor. You're never even met Alastor Moody," Dumbledore answers as if he just read my mind. 

He's also a Legilimens just like Mer! I look her way and she gives me the same confusing look.

"I don't deserve such credit. She's much more talented for it than I ever dreamed of being. But now enough small talk."

"Come along, Potter," I hear Professor McGonagall whisper. "Come along... hospital wing..."

"No," Dumbledore states sharply. 

"Albus, he ought to — look at him — he's been through enough tonight —"

"He will stay, Minerva, because he needs to understand," Dumbledore says curtly. "Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery. He needs to know who has put him through the ordeal he has suffered tonight, and why."

Mer and I were allowed to stay and hear the confessions of Barty Crouch and the house-elf Winky before Dumbledore took Mer, Harry and me to his office where we found Sirius and heard Harry's confession.


	17. Changing Schools

This summer is like summer always is at the Malfoys; boring, uneasy and awkward. But this time there was also the tension of Voldemorts return that hung in the air. I have never seen Mr Malfoy like that in my entire life. He was always so cold and restrained, but now he acts like he is scared to death. All the time! I mean, I had to hear from Draco that my brother came in confrontation with the Ministry. It's rather strange he didn't want to brag about something like that.

Mer and I are in our room and loud music is coming out of the speakers. Normally Mr Malfoy would have come up here a long time ago to shut us up and give us a punishment for bothering him. But now he hasn't said a word about it. Actually, he hasn't said much to us all summer long. That was until dinner.

Mrs Malfoy gives the potatoes to me after she put some in her and Draco's plate.  I was just about to put some on Mers plate when Mr Malfoy clears his throat. 

"After long consideration, I've decided it is best for the two of you to change schools. Hogwarts is much closer and it would be much more practical for Narcissa and I if you went to the same school as Draco."

"Why?" Mer asks, her cheeks bunchy because her mouth is full of potato.

"Don't ask questions! Just accept," he turns back to his normal self and sneers at her.

"But father, I don't want them coming to Hogwarts. It was already interesting enough last year!" Draco starts complaining but shuts his mouth when he sees his father's glance.

"Tomorrow the three of you will go shopping for new robes and books together with Narcissa and that is final."

\-----

"Well, these robes are certainly something different than the pale blue robes made of silk we used to wear at Beauxbatons," I comment when I look at myself looking back in the mirror.

The uniform consisted of a plain white buttoned shirt, a house tie which will colour itself after we are sorted into our house, a charcoal grey cardigan and a skirt around knee-length. Girls also had to wear black tights or stockings. 

"They can't expect me to wear those shoes?!!"

I look at Mer and she has the same uniform but instead of the cardigan, I chose she is wearing a charcoal grey knitted v-neck jumper.

I get what she's complaining about. I look at the shoes I'm wearing at the moment. They're plain black shoes and an open black silver fastened robe with the student's House emblem on and respective coloured lining. They're hideous! I'm already missing the heels he used to wear at Beauxbatons.

"Stop complaining, Merope. It's not like you would look better in something else. You always look this ugly. No need to act so surprised," Draco comes out of the fitting room to get his clothes adjusted.

His uniform consisted of a plain white buttoned shirt, a house tie with thin stripes of green and silver, a charcoal grey sleeveless jumper with cuffs and waist in green, charcoal trousers and the same ugly black shoes. Though on Draco they looked quite classy.

"I look dashing. The only thing missing is my snake badge for my tie and of course my new perfect badge for my robes," Draco comments, admiring himself in the mirror while Madam Malkin gives his trousers the final touches.

Mer gives me a look of disgust while I just roll my eyes and think about our upcoming year. We know the school kind of already since we were selected for the exchange last year during the Tournament. But now we are enrolling as students of Hogwarts, not just as guests. And our sorting ceremony; will it be in front of everybody else like with the first years or will we be called in private?

\-----

"You have everything?"

"Yes, mother. I've got everything. And if I found out I did forget something you can always just send it by owl. Now if you would excuse us, the train is about to leave and as new Slytherin prefect I can't miss it," Draco says his goodbye's to his mother, his father didn't bother to come since he's going some shady looking job for the Dark Lord, and gets onto the train. Mer and I follow behind him after we said our goodbye's too.

"You will not be able to sit with me because Pansy and I need to go to the prefect meeting but the two of you can sit with Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle," Draco says before leaving with pug-face.

Mer and I look at the three guys in the compartment before looking at each other. Blaise is an OK guy but Crabbe and Goyle... Merlin, I can't stand them.

"Hey, Blaise. Had a nice summer?" Mer turns back to the guys and go sit next to Goyle and in front of Blaise.

"Was quite alright," he answers while I go sit next to Blaise and give Crabbe and Goyle, who are seated in front of me,  a little smile before awkwardly looking away.

"Do you already know what house you'll be sorted into?" Blaise breaks the awfully painful silence after a few minutes. 

"Well, Luce and I were both sorted into Sabent at Beauxbatons. Sabent was the house of the talented and the intelligent so I think it's logical to assume that we'll be sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Sounds like a safe guess to me," he answers before it becomes silent again. Nobody says a word till Draco is back.

\-----

When the other students see us they start whispering. Gossiping about us without a doubt.

"Before the first years arrive, I'd like to make an announcement," Dumbledore starts and all the talks end, "This year we welcome two of the students from Beauxbatons who were guests last year during the Triwizard Tournament. They will now be sorted separately from the first years."

Professor McGonagall comes walking through and instructs Mer to take place first, "Miss Black, you first please."

Mer puts the old and ugly hat on her head. Before a couple of seconds of silence, it cries out; "Ravenclaw!"

The table with the blue and bronze uniforms starts cheering and she walks over there to take place.

"Miss Evans, your turn please."

I take a deep breath and take the hat from her and put it on my head. I shouldn't be worried. Mer and I were in the same house at Beauxbatons, why would this be any different?

"Maybe because we have different standards here?" I hear a voice say inside my head before the hat yells; "Slytherin!"


	18. Slytherin House

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," Dumbledore starts. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now too. Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door. We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Good thing. That giant is finally disposed of," Draco smirks and his friends join him while a polite round of unenthusiastic applause fills the Great Hall before Dumbledore continues; "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —"

He is interrupted by a "Hem, hem," of Professor Umbridge standing, instead of sitting, behind the staff table. I first didn't notice the later part since she's not much taller standing than sitting.

Professor Dumbledore looks only taken aback for a moment before he sits back down, looking alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desires nothing better than to listen to her talk. 

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpers, "for those kind words of welcome.  And how lovely to see all your bright happy faces smiling up at me," I look around and see nobody smiling or even look happy, "I'm sure we're all going to be good friends. The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." She ends with a creepy smile on her face and a high, face-sounding giggle before she goes back to her place.

She sits back down and Dumbledore starts to clap. The staff follows his lead and a few students join in, though I'm sure most of them didn't listen to more than just a few words of her speech. 

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," Dumbledore congrats her politely, before continuing where she interrupted him. "Now — as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held this Saturday and Sunday morning. The exact hour will be announced by the Quidditch Captains of your house in the common rooms."

"Yes, it certainly was illuminating," I mumble to myself.

* * *

Mer and I say our goodbyes after the feast. Both of us are sad and disappointed we're not in the same house like we were at Beauxbatons. We have all the same subjects so I just hope we have a lot of our classes together. I'll have to wait for tomorrow to get my timetable and see if my prayers have been heard by whoever. 

Mer follows other Ravenclaws to her common room since last year she was staying at the Hufflepuff dorms. I will be in the same dorms as last year so I know the way. Please let me have different roommates than last year.

"So Luce, will you be trying out for Quidditch? I'm sure Merope will," I hear someone ask from the moment I enter the common room. Of course, it's Draco. Who else?

"No, I don't think so. It's our O.W.L. year so I want to focus on my studies," I tell him before I turn back to the book I was reading.

"You need to try out! Our Keeper retired last year and you're really good at it. I really want to win the house cup. And I'm sure father would be proud if I did."

"Draco, I told you I don't want to. I want to focus on my studies. Do I have to remind you that I have taken more courses than you have," I sigh annoyed. Can't he just leave me be? I want to continue reading my book.

"You will try out for Quidditch. We need a good Keeper! Besides, you love playing so I'm actually doing you a favour. You should thank me," Draco states haughtily.

"I'm going to my dorm. Good night Draco," I reply kindly and leave him frustrated, because he didn't get what he wanted, in the common room.

"Don't you think this is over yet, Lucinda! You'll hear about this," he yells at the bottom of the stairs.

I smile while shaking my head. He's such a dummy from time to time. When I reach the rooms of the fifth year I start looking for the room with my name on it. I find a door with my name on it... and Greengrass and Parkinson.

Is it too much to ask for some bloody peace and quiet!

* * *

 

"You don't mind being in Slytherin?"

Mer, Ernie and I are sitting at the Hufflepuff table, just like we used to do last year.

"Wisdom is welcome, where ever it is coming from," I answer Ernie coldly since I'm a tiny bit offended. But I know he can be an idiot from time to time so I forgive him right away. 

"Well, I guess you're still the same person," he shrugs before he continues eating his scrambled eggs.

"Glad you noticed," I reply before turning back to my own breakfast.

"The timetables are here!" Mer proclaims excitedly and sits down next to Ernie handing us our timetables. We all compare ours.

"We almost have all our classes together!" Mer cries out enthusiastically while throwing her hands in the air. I look back at the tables and see we have indeed every class together except for Potions. All the other classes we have at least two of us together.

"Wow, you do have a lot of extra classes. It's even more than you had last year," Ernie states shocked, "How are you two going to manage this all? Some of the courses are at the same time."

"Time-Turners of course," Mer answers in a duh-tone. "But from time to time I just skip some or sleep during courses."

"You do know I'm a Prefect now, don't you? I'll need to get you back into line," Ernie says with a grin all over his face.

"Oh, please. I'd like to see you try and give _me_ detention," Mer replies mocking but also with a hint of the thrill of an upcoming challenge. 

"Come on, Ernie. We've got to get to Herbology. I don't want to be late on my first day," I say while getting up.

"What do you have again, Mer? I already forgot," Ernie asks.

"I've got Divination. So to infini-TEA and beyond," Mer jokes while taking the last sip of her tea before getting up and leaving the Great Hall with us.


	19. Umbridge and Snape

"Before we begin today's lesson," Professor Snape says, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at all of us in his classroom, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L., or suffer my displeasure."

It's obvious how his gaze lands upon Neville, who gulps.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape goes on. "I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T. Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye." This time his eyes clearly rest on Harry and his lip curls. Harry glares back, I know he'll be delighted if he would be able to give up Potions after this year. 

"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," Snape continues softly, "so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L. students. Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: If you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing. The ingredients and method are on the blackboard you will find everything you need in the store cupboard. You have an hour and a half... Start."

Oh, this is already a more complex potion. The ingredients need to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities; the mixture had to be stirred exactly the right number of times, firstly in clockwise, then in counterclockwise directions; the heat of the flames on which it is simmering had to be lowered to exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient is added... I love this sort of potions. They are a real challenge.

"A light silver vapour should now be rising from your potion," Professor Snape says, with ten minutes left to go. I'm already done and waiting for instructions to finish. I look around the room and see my brother, who is sweating profusely and looking desperately around. When he sees me looking at him, he gives me a pleading look for help. 

Out of his cauldron comes a copious amount of dark grey steam. Before I can even try to give him any advice Professor Snape goes looking at his cauldron with a horrible smirk on his face.

"Tell me, Potter, can you read?" Snape's voice brings my attention back to my brother. 

The Slytherins at the front of the class all look up eagerly; they love hearing Snape taunt Harry. Draco sees me looking disappointed at him, hoping it will make him stop, and just gives me an arrogant smile.

"Yes, I can."

"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter."

"'Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore,'" my brother reads out loud.

"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter? .... I beg your pardon?"

"No," Harry speaks up this time, clearly angry. "I forgot the hellebore."

"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. _Evanesco_. Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing," Snape instructs.

Well, that's rather unfair. We have to hand in a sample but Professor Snape made the content of his cauldron vanish before he could even get one. 

"Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."

* * *

"Well, good morning!"

A few people mumble a small"Good morning," in reply, though not a lot.

"Tut, tut," Professor Umbridgereponds. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good morning, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge," most of us now say back to her.

"There, now," Professor Umbridge says in an overly sweet voice. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."

"Wands away?" Ernie asks confused next to me. He's not the only one. Most people in the classroom exchange looks.

I've already read my copy of 'Defense Against the Dark Arts A Return to Basic Principles' and so I already know there is not one single spell to be found in the book.

"Your teaching on this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it? The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your O.W.L. year. You will be pleased to know that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year."

_Course aims:_

_1. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic._

_2\. Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used._

_3\. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use._

The text appeared on the blackboard and I assume she wants us to copy it down, though nobody is moving their quills.

"Good," Professor Umbridge continues. "Now, I would like you to turn to page five and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need to talk. I'm sure you all know how to read in quiet."

I put my hand in the air, she seems like the teacher who doesn't like me just speaking up my mind without being pointed to.

"Yes, Miss Evans. What is it? I thought the assignment was perfectly understandable," Umbridge says with forced kindness.

"It is, professor, crystal clear. It's just I've already read the book already and I had a bit of a concern about its used methods."

Ernie looks at me with wide eyes but I do not take my glance of Umbridge.

"Well I don't see why your opinion would be important to the Ministry, but please do tell me what bothers you," now she no longer tries to pretend to be kind and sweet but has a clear look of irritation on her face.

"There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeats with a little laugh. "I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell." 

"I'm not saying I suspect to be attacked during class, but aren't we supposed to perform spells at our O.W.L. exam? I don't think a lot of people would pass if during your exam you need to perform a spell for the first time," I know it is stupid to even try to reason her, but if I don't try who will?

"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," Professor Umbridge says dismissively.

"That's insane!" Ernie cries out. Lot's of other students in the room react in the same way.

"You will raise your hand, Mr Macmillan," Umbridge now clearly furious. "Now all of you back to your reading. If I hear one single word, you can join me in detention."


	20. A pink Toad

"Have you heard yet what happened in my DADA class yet?" Mer asks exited.

"No, we haven't. We just saw you," I answer and roll my eyes at her.

"Well, she ordered us to read that stupid book, which you probably have read already. Hermione had also read it entirely and wanted to question Umbridge teachings and the fact that we're not using spells at all. Umbridge became irritated, other Gryffindors joined the discussion and it became one big mess. She was clearly mad, but when your brother mentioned Voldemort she just lost it. Merlin, you should have seen her face. It was hilarious!"

"Harry should better keep a low profile and not become angry all the time," I sigh because I understand why he is frustrated but with those outbursts, he'll get nowhere.

"He just got a detention. It's not that big of a deal," Mer shrugs.

* * *

"Everyone here?" Professor Grubbly-Plank barks, once all the everyone has arrived. "Let's crack on then — who can tell me what these things are called?"

"Bowtruckles," Hermione answers. "They're tree-guardians, usually live in wand-trees."

"Five points for Gryffindor," Professor Grubbly-Plank says. "Yes, these are bowtruckles and, as Miss Granger rightly says, they generally live in trees whose wood is of wand quality. Anybody know what they eat?" 

"Wood lice," I answer this time, "But fairy eggs if they can get them."

"Correct. Five points to Slytherin this time. So whenever you need leaves or wood from a tree in which a bowtruckle lodges, it is wise to have a gift of wood lice ready to distract or placate it. They may not look dangerous, but if angered they will gouge out human eyes with their fingers, which, as you can see, are very sharp and not at all desirable near the eyeballs. So if you'd like to gather closer, take a few wood lice and a bowtruckle — I have enough here for one between three — you can study them more closely. I want a sketch from each of you with all body parts labelled by the end of the lesson."

I'm just sketching when I suddenly hear my brother in a rather annoyed way. I turn around and see Draco and a couple of his friends next to him, laughing loudly while Harry is being scrolled at by Hermione.

"If he calls Hagrid a moron one more time..." Harry snarls.

"Harry, don't go picking a row with Malfoy, don't forget, he's a prefect now, he could make life difficult for you..." I hear Hermione try to reason him. But in the mood he's in, I can tell it's an impossible job.

"Wow, I wonder what it'd be like to have a difficult life?" Harry responds sarcastically. 

"Harry, I know your life at the moment isn't exactly a bed of roses but do you really have to be such an arse to your friends?" I ask him which only seems to piss him off even more.

"Keep out of it, Lucinda. You've got no idea what you're talking about," Harry snarls back.

"Wow, can I just tell you that you really reminded me of how Draco treated me?" I say in an icy voice.

"I just wish Hagrid would hurry up and get back, that's all," Harry says in a low voice. "And don't say that Grubbly-Plank woman's a better teacher!" he adds threateningly.

"I wasn't going to," I say calmly. 

"Now that was pretty," I hear Draco say. Is it possible to ever shut his mouth? "Pretty ugly."

"You know Draco, there is this really nice place. It's called go away, and it is located over there," I say in a sweet voice while pointing at the Forbidden Forest. I then turn around and make my way back to the castle for dinner.

* * *

"What have I heard? You stood up against Draco?" Mer asks, clearly excited.

"How can you have heard that already. It just happened!" I cry out in frustration. It's impossible to have heard about it already.

"Have you forgotten? My name is Merope Black. It is my business to know what other people do not know. Now tell me all about it," she demands.

"Can't I even eat first?" I plead.

"No."

I sigh, "Fine. Because you asked so nicely." I tell her quickly everything that happened without going to much into detail. 

"Did you hear the new decree?" Ernie asks, saving me from all the questions Mer is asking me about the incident. 

"What decree?" I ask interested.

"The made that Umbridge woman High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. Can you believe that?"

"Of course I can. I mean, weren't you paying attention when she gave her introduction speech. She almost literally said that the Ministry will interfere in Hogwarts business," I explain after rolling my eyes since it's not difficult to get that he indeed wasn't paying attention since the look on his face says it all.

"I would like to see her try interrupting McGonagall's class," Mer chuckles before taking another spoonful of pudding.

* * *

"Hey, where is everybody going?" Mer asks.

It's just our ordinary Thursday morning when suddenly an alarming amount of students intensely whispering and walking from table to table before more and more students stand up and leave the Great Hall.

"Don't know, let's ask. Draco, you know what's going on?"

"It's that Trelawney layabout. She's been finally suspended by Umbridge. I hope she gets rid of that miserable giant soon too."

We stand up too and walk out while following the stream of students. Until we see Filch who carrying trunks, Professor Trelawney is sobbing a few meters away while Umbridge is just looking at her with a satisfied look.

"Y-you can't do this to me. Hogwarts is my home." Trelawney sobs, McGonagall comes and comforts her.

"Actually, I can," Umbridge answers with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face before turning to Professor McGonagall with face kindness, "Something you'd like to say, Minerva?"

"Oh, there are several things I'd like to say," McGonagall says at the moment Dumbledore joins.

"Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybil back inside?" he instructs and the two teachers go fastly back inside.

"Dumbledore, may I remind you that under the terms of Educational Decree Number 23, as enacted by the minister-" the pink toad starts but gets interrupted by our Headmaster.

"You have the right to dismiss my teachers," Dumbledore completes, "You do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains to the headmaster."

"For now," is the only thing Umbridge says in her bittersweet voice.

"Don't you all have studying to do?" Dumbledore before going back inside as well.


	21. DA

"Tomorrow, when we go to Hogsmeade we have a meeting to attend," Ernie says when he comes sitting in front of me and diagonally of Mer.

"I love meetings. What's this one about?" Mer asks excitedly.

"It will be a meeting about learning Defence Against the Dark Arts by ourselves. Your brother will be leading the meeting if I understood correctly, Luce."

"That's actually a brilliant idea. I still can't see how that toad can be so dumb to want us to perform the spells for the first time on our O.W.L. exams," I complain about that awful woman again.

"Where will the meeting take place?" Mer asks.

"In the Hog's Head."

"Are they serious? You never know what kind of people go there. Do they want to be overheard?" she now comments in disbelieve.

"Well, it's less likely than in the Three Broomsticks," I shrug before turning back to my porridge.

* * *

"Er," Hermione started, her voice slightly higher than usual out of nerves. "Well.. er.. hi. Well.. erm.. well, you know why you're here. Erm.. well, Harry here had the idea,  I mean, I had the idea that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts. Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands." She pauses and looks sideways at Harry before she continues, "And by that, I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells —" 

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. too though, I bet?" Michael Corner interrupts, a Ravenclaw guy in the same year as we are. 

"Of course I do," Hermione answers at once. "But I want more than that, I want to be properly trained in Defense because... because Lord Voldemort's back."

This causes an immediate and predictable reaction in the pub.

"Well, that's the plan anyway," Hermione goes on. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to —"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" Zacharias Smith asks in a rather aggressive voice.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it —" Hermione begins but get's interrupted by the Hufflepuff again.

"You mean, Dumbledore believes him. And I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."

"What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" my brother speaks up for the first time this meeting, "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone. I'm not gonna talk about Cedric so if that's why you came, you should leave," Harry says angrily.

"Is it true you can do a Patronus Charm?" Luna Lovegood asks. I'm sure she's trying to get the attention on his good side. Clever girl. I didn't like her last year when we first met but she seems quite ok.

"Yes, I've seen it." Hermione answers. Everybody is under the great impression. They all start to enumerate all my brothers' triumphs. I'm impressed, I didn't know all the things he did. I just knew some. I look at Mer beside me and she has the same expression of marvel on her face.

"Wait. Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that but the truth is, most of the time was just a matter of luck. I didn't know what I was doing half of the time. I nearly always had help. Facing this stuff in real life is not like school at all. In school you can make mistakes, out there it's a game of life and death. You can't do it over. Seeing a friend die before your eyes,... you don't know what that's like."

 Of course, now he chooses a moment to be modest. What an idiot he can be from time to time.

"That's why we need to learn how to defend ourselves. If Umbridge doesn't want to do it, we need to do it ourselves. So here is a form that you need to sign when you want to join the DA and want to learn how to prepare yourself for what is out there." Hermione takes out a form. "I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge — or anybody else — what we're up to."

"Wait, can I just ask another thing," Smith says in an annoying voice. God, I don't like that guy. "Why is there a Slytherin here?"

Now everybody is looking at the back of the pub where Ernie, Mer and I are seated. Now he made me hate him. Well done, Zacharias.

"Just shut up, Zach," Ernie says with clear irritation in his voice.

"Who says she will not betray us," Smith just ignores him and continues. I just look him in the eye, daring to say what he wants. "Slytherins always save themselves first, not thinking about others. You can never trust them. Umbridge recently started a club of her minions who are above everybody else. They're all Slytherins! Doesn't that say enough?"

"She's my sister, so she stays," Harry defends me. "If you don't like it, leave."

Smith looks angry but doesn't dare to say another thing. Thanks, my brother, for protecting my dignity.

We all line up to sign the form and join this new found club. 

"Are you sure you want a Slytherin in that group of yours?" I ask my brother when it's my time to sign it. 

"You're my sister. Of course, I want you to be there."

"Do your friends understand that too?" I ask in disbelieve, looking over my shoulder to where Smith is seated. 

"They'll just have to deal with it. Besides, a guy like that is certainly not my friend."

"All right then," I smile a little and sign the form. I look up at Hermione and ask; "What did you do with it, if I may ask. I'm rather curious since I know there must be a reason for you to do something like this."

She smiles at me with a hint of mischief in her eyes while answering; "I charmed it before. If anyone would tell they would get 'tattletale' on their forehead in pustules."

"Nice one," Mer comments, "Unexpected, but I can only approve. If you wanted too, you'd make a nasty prankster."

"Wow, you should feel honoured, Ganger. Because that's the highest form of a compliment you can get from her," Ernie says grinning.


	22. The Room of Requirement

_All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded._

_An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students._

_Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge)_.

_No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor._

_Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled._

_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four._

_Signed: Dolores Umbridge, High Inquisitor_

 "Does she know?" Ernie asks nervously, again for the fourth time this lunch.

"For the last time, Ernest," Mer answers beyond annoyed, "Nobody told her! It's not possible, we would know if there was somebody who gave us away. Again, remember the spell Hermione put on the document we _all_ signed. It's just not possible it was one of us."

"But you have to agree, Mer. This isn't a coincidence," I say while shaking my head before taking another mouthful of my mashed potatoes.

"It's just stupid she means all teams. Now the Quidditch team needs permission to form again before we can go back to training," Mer sighs.

"So you did make the team? Why you never told us?!" Ernie cries out.

"I don't know. Guess I forgot to tell you with all these things going on."

"How can you forget about Quidditch!!? That's just not possible," Ernie redeems himself, shaking his head before continuing in a calmer way, "Anyway, what position do you play?"

"Chaser," Mer answers with a big smile on her face. "The best position there is."

"I like to recall that. I think Keepers are the most brilliant," I try to reason her.

"Certainly not. You have to be a swift and agile flyer. We're generally considered the most exhilarating to watch by spectators during a match. It's also the oldest position in the game, so it means it's the most entertaining since they kept it for so long."

"You just fly around and try to score. But we have to be smarter than you to prevent you from doing so."

"At least we can score points. And besides, Keepers used to be essentially Chasers, they evolved from it so that means we're better."

"Exactly as you said; they evolved from it. They brought it to the next level."

"Uhm, girls?" Ernie tries carefully to get our attention so we give him a glare right back, "Not that I want to ruining your little argument but Mer, you and I need to get going for History of Magic."

The three of us make our way out of the Great Hall. Ernie and Mer to History of Magic and I to Potions.

\-----

"You will notice," Snape says in his low, sneering voice, "that we have a guest with us today."

Well, obviously since everybody saw Umbridge when they entered the Dungeon. She's now sitting in the corner with a clipboard on her knee.

"That being said, we are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today, you will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson — if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend — instructions on the board. Carry on." We all start where we left off with our potion, but I — and I'm not alone — get distracted by Umbridge when she starts asking questions.

"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level," Umbridge says briskly to Snape's back. "Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."

Snape straightens up slowly and turns to look at her. She has to be kidding. It's a harmless potion! It just increases your physical strength.

"Now, how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" she asks, her quill scribbling over her clipboard.

"Fourteen years," Snape replies, his expression is unfathomable. Wow, that makes me question how old he already is.

"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asks Snape.

"Yes," Snape answers quietly. That's not unknown.

"But you were unsuccessful?" 

Snape's lip curled. "Obviously." I can't help but smile a little though I try to conceal it.

"And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"

"Yes," Snape answers quietly, barely moving his lips. He looks very angry.

"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" asked Umbridge.

"I suggest you ask him," Snape says jerkily.

"Oh I shall," Professor Umbridge says with a sweet smile.

"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asks, his black eyes narrowed. 

"Oh yes. Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers' backgrounds."

\-----

"Good," Harry whispers, "we've found somewhere to have our first Defense meeting. Tonight, eight o'clock, seventh floor opposite that tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by those trolls. Can you tell Zacharias and Suzanne?" 

That night at eight o'clock we were at the meeting place but there was no place that seemed fit for a Spell Club.

"Are you sure this is it? We did hear it correctly right?" I look confused at Ernie and Mer but they have the same expressions on their faces. Before either of them can answer we hear my brothers voice behind us. 

"Good, you're already here."

"Where is here supposed to be?" Mer asks doubtfully.

"Yes, we just wait till everyone has arrived," Harry answers. When everybody has arrived he greets them before closing his eyes. He looks like he's concentrating on something. What in Merlin's name is he doing? I look around again to find everyone as confused as I am.

Suddenly a door starts to appear on the wall in front of us.

"It's fantastic!" Cho the Ravenclaw girl says, and several people murmur their agreement. We enter and see a room full of Spellbooks and all sorts of instruments to detect evil.

"It's bizarre," Fred adds, frowning around at it. "We once hid from Filch in here, remember, George? But it was just a broom cupboard then..." 

"I think we ought to elect a leader," Hermione stops the excitement mumbling when she speaks up.

"Harry's leader," Cho says at once, looking at Hermione as though she were mad, and Harry's stomach did yet another backflip.

"Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly. It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So, everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?"

Everybody puts up their hands, even Zacharias Smith, though he does it very halfheartedly.

"Er — right, thanks," Harry, his face burning red. 

"What will we do about the Inquisitorial Squad?" a Ravenclaw boy asks, I think he's Ginny's boyfriend if I'm correct.

"I can scare him away," Ernie moots bravely. 

"No offence, but you're about as intimidating as a butterfly," Mer says laughing, "I suggest we leave them a little something." She has mischief in her eyes, so that can only mean one thing.

"I agree on that. Why don't we leave them some of our Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs," Fred continues.

"Hey! It was my idea so I get to prank them," Mer pouts.

"We could compete who does the best prank," Fred says with a big smile on his face. The same smile playing on the face of his brother.

"May the best prankster win," I challenge them.

Mer takes my hand and drags me away. We need to brainstorm.

"Come on, Luce. The game is afoot!" 


	23. Pranking War

"You know, you have a grand gift for silence, Ernie. It makes you quite invaluable as a companion," Mer says while we continue drawing mustaches on the kitten plates in Umbridge's office.

"You said I just had to stay guard. I don't want anything to do with this. So hurry up!" Ernie orders in a panicked voice.

"We're almost done so get your soul out of that gutter," I snigger.

"I still can't believe you agreed to do this," Ernie groans in a complaint. "You of all people, I thought would be against this."

"The key is to look innocent, Ernie. Believe me, you can get away with lot's of stuff if they believe you would never be capable of doing the thing," I explain while finishing the last mustache.  "Done!"

To finish it up we release the frogs in her office and put a spell on them that if she wants to get rid of them by magic they will start multiplying.

"Finally, now let's get out of here before she comes back," Ernie says before we make our way to the Great Hall for dinner.

"Oh, don't worry. I know this will be a marvelous dinner this evening," Mer giggles remembering what we did before we went to her office. We were in the kitchens to put laxatives in her food. "Yes, a fun evening it will be."

\-----

Halfway through dinner, there are little sounds coming from the High Table. Mer and I look at each other since we know the laxatives are kicking in. 

"We're so having detention this week," Ernie sighs next to us.

"She doesn't know it was us," Mer winks at him before taking another bite of beef.

Umbridge gets up from her seat and starts walking between the tables towards the exit.

"Professor, you totally look Toad-a-Licious today. Has anybody told you yet?" George says when she walks by them.

"Mr Weasley, I think you and your twin brother would like to join me in detention tomorrow evening. I'll expect you at five o'clock," she says with a forced smile on her face.

"Professor, you made my cookie cry," Fred says just before she turns around and continues walking towards the exit.

\-----

"You are so immature," Hermione says to Mer who isn't able to stop laughing since we left the Great Hall.

"Immature is just a word that boring people use to describe fun people" Mer replays before she sticks her tongue out.

"Yeah, sure."

"I thought it was brilliant," Harry says excitedly.

"Thank you," I comment this time and bow a little. A big smile on my face while I think about Umbridge's face when she walked out as fast as she could.

"That was you two?" Fred asks.

"That was genius!" George continues.

"You know, crazy is the new normal," Mer says and takes my arm and hooks it with hers.

 "I helped too. I stood watch," Ernie says proudly.

"He's our pupil. He still needs lots of learning in the ways of pranking, especially on how to act natural," I say and smile innocently at the end like I'm explaining something about a potion.

"We need to raise our game, Fred."

"Yes, we do George. We can't lose to them when it comes to pranking."

"Maybe we can involve other teachers next time. Like Dumbledore!"

"Dumbledore? So, you two are planning on growing old and having matching Dumbledore-like beards! I mean, you could even braid each other's," Mer says while we take our leave. We need to get ready to plan our next prank.

\-----

The twins do have a marvelous prank too. They ornamented all her robes with a bit of a schottisch tint. And every time she tries to turn them back to their normal pink colour, they catch fire. When we thought she looks awful in pink she looks even worse in green.

The twins, Mer and I decided on a truce during the Chrismas holiday since we are going back to 12 Grimmauld Place. 

Mer is really excited to see her father again. She just can't wait to see him. She was mad when we heard the Weasley's and Harry left a few days earlier because something happened.

"Why is it we had to stay behind?" Mer asks demanding just a mere second after she walked through the door.

"Mr. Weasley was attacked while on a mission. He's in St. Mungo's now, hospital for magical maladies and injuries," Remus answers in a calm tone without looking up.

Mer and I look shocked at each other before she makes a small; "Oh."

\-----

' _We have confirmed that 10 high-security prisoners in the early hours of yesterday evening did escape. And of course, the Muggle prime minister has been alerted to the danger. We strongly suspect that the breakout was engineered by a man with personal experience in escaping from Azkaban notorious mass murderer Sirius Black, cousin of escapee Bellatrix Lestrange._ '

We are only one day back at Hogwarts and this is all over the newspapers. 

"I see your father has been busy, hasn't he Merope?" a lovely but irritating voice says from behind us. Mer and I turn around in our seat and see Draco with Pansy next to him. Crabbe and Goyle are seated behind them and are sneering.

"Drop it, Draco," I say wand try to turn Mer back around but she refuses.

"What is it you want this time, Drakey-poo? Oh, you don't like that nickname? Last time your mother called you that you didn't seem to mind, though."

"Leave my mother out of this," all the fun from teasing her is wiped off his face so now only pure anger is on it, "And don't call me that!"

"What would you prefer? Blondie? Or maybe Ferret Boy?" Mer asks in a sweet tone.

"Don't you dare!" he hisses.

"Mr Malfoy, Miss Black, would you please pay attention during my class," Professor Flitwick reminds us.


End file.
